Brittle

First thing came to mind for the Topic today (brittle) was our shores and the coast line, which is constantly changing.
The shells on the beach are as brittle or as fragile as the coast and rocks, by being ever pounded by the Indian Ocean, relatively calm today. There were numerous small shells, some crushed some intact some hanging onto their brittle state not quite ready to give up and be buried and turned into sand.
The larger shells i put there (from our bathroom) have also become brittle over time, I love hearing the rush of sound like the ocean when held to my ears.
The large shells were found and brought home by Glyn over 25 years ago when he drove across the Nullarbor Plain to Eyre, across the Great Australian Bight, in a convoy with Conservation And Land Management where he worked, to deliver and install a solar panel to the bird observatory about one kilometre North of Cocklebiddy.
Europeans first ventured here as early as 1851, at that time Edward John Eyre and his companions set of to cross the Nullarbor, which put the area on the map, he was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, an ex governor of Jamaica.
There lies another history lesson for another day. (And another topic) :-)

Then in swooped the Silver Gull, common in every state here, and just as pesky as most Gulls anywhere in the world, feeding on worms, fish, insects and crustaceans. It is a Successful scavenger, and very inquisitive hoping for a free feed!

(The shells are safely back in the bathroom on the shelf, too brittle to leave on the beach)