On our way back to Devon from the Christie hospital, Manchester and whilst waiting for scan results we needed a distraction. We were in our campervan and decided to head for the Welsh coast for a few days.
We knew nothing about the area so I pawed over the map and decided the coast around Borth looked interesting. We stumbled on a gem of a place to stay for the night North of Borth alongside the golf club and the beach. £5 for 24 hours in a campervan.
Sand dunes and estuary nearby - a Bird Watchers paradise. Wide sandy beach with endless sunshine - everyone's paradise!
Watching the sun go down from our vantage point on the pebbled ridge above the sandy beach I noticed well disguised Ringed Plovers dashing between the stones near our feet.
In the morning we headed to Borth town for bread and I noticed many sea birds gathering over the small bay in front of the Lifeboat station - a back drop of cliffs and rocky outcrops providing an obvious habitat and roosting spot. More and more birds were gathering in the air and on the water.
I spotted Sandwich Terns, common Terns and endless gulls. But they were all dwarfed by the huge cloud of black and white Manx Shearwaters! They were crashing onto the water, then pedalling across the surface to take off again, taking to the sky in search of their next prey. It seemed they had found themselves quite a feast in the water and were on a frenzied binge!
What an incredible and totally unexpected sight to witness, forever in my mind and thankfully recorded on camera.
