Sea Fog, St Aldhelm's Head

[puddleshark]

I have been playing hide-and-seek with the rooks in the sea fog up on St Alhelm's Head.




Following the chalk track along the headland to St Aldhelm's Head, with all landmarks vanished, and the wind artistically blowing curtains of fog across the path.


Along the chalk track, the tall wiry stems of Black Mustard adorned not with flowers, but with snails: brown snails, striped snails, yellow snails. Their shells shining, varnished by fog.

Things flowering along the track: purple Knapweed and Milk Thistles, pink Mallow, yellow spikes of Agrimony, silver-leaved Artemisia. Too windy a day for butterflies and birdsong. But glimpses of whitethroats, sparrows, skylarks and goldfinches busy in the rough field margins.






A great flock of rooks had all gathered on the white chalk track. I don't know why - you would have to ask the rooks. But we played a game of hide-and-seek in the fog for a while.





It is a magical thing, to be walking through a monochrome world of white track and white fog, with the black rooks swirling above. My photos did not come out well, but I don't care.


The barley not quite managing the Fields of Gold thing. Cheer up, Barley. Fields of Bronze isn't a bad effort on such a dark day.

It's not possible to get lost on the track along St Aldhelm's head. There are no turnings, and no crossroads. Still I wasn't entirely sure where I was, until the old Coastguard cottages suddenly loomed out of the fog in a very Gothic manner.





St Aldhelm's Chapel materialising, possibly from the 12th century.


The Coastwatch lookout station, though I don't think they would be doing much looking out this morning.


The Coast Path, with cliffs on the left, and the sound of the sea. But neither the drop nor the water visible.

Sat for a while on a very damp bench with no views of anything, except the fog blowing in curtains. If there were gulls soaring over the cliffs, they were invisible gulls. Poured coffee from a flask, and the wind kindly blew on it so that it wasn't too hot. A skylark began to sing. Just one, battling against the wind. There's always one.


The path down to Chapman's Pool. I did not take it, because a) it is steep, and b) I couldn't see whether Chapman's Pool was even there today.

Time to turn back and retrace my steps.





Just past the working quarry, I saw two hares. One ran along the track, saw me, and changed direction with so much force that it skidded on the chalk, launching itself into the long grass. The other was only visible as a pair of black-tipped ears in the tall grass.


I wasn't quick enough to photograph the hares, so have a picture of the tall grass instead. They are in there somewhere.

Comments

[heleninwales]

It was misty here, but not that misty. Your photos are very atmospheric, especially flock of rooks and the buildings looming out of the gloom.

[puddleshark]

Thanks!

The fog cleared up inland by midday and the sun came out, but my sister, who went to an open garden right down by the coast, said that the fog was still hanging round there in the afternoon. She had her cream tea in the gloom.

[greenwoodside]

I love these photos.

They capture what looks like a remarkable, atmospheric day.

And would be great on the mood board of anyone planning an English folk horror/gothic film!

[puddleshark]

Thank you!

It was eerie. The Met Office hadn't forecast fog at all. But the fog just got thicker and thicker as I drove down to the coast...

*cue unsettling music*

[asakiyume]

That's some intense fog! The shots with birds in them look like something from the Faerie of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

Love the snail, too.

[puddleshark]

The shots with birds in them look like something from the Faerie of 'Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell'...

Oh, I'm glad I didn't think of that at the time!

I like the unsettling nature of fog, and the way that the familiar world, stripped of landmarks, becomes so strange... but I don't think I want my brain to start seeing Signs of Faerie!

[kotturinn]

Those rooks know their function!

[puddleshark]

They were doing a splendid job!