I had hoped to start this year with a look forward to everything we can likely expect and hope for from this crucial year of 2014. I'm afraid this will have to wait for a little bit though. Due to the ongoing severe weather events effecting the Solent, a blog post concentrating on anything else simply wouldn't do the situation justice. Today's high tide reached 5.8 metres, almost a metre (80 centimetres) over it's astronomically predicted height and over-topped many parts of the Langstone and Chichester Harbour shorelines. The communities affected in Langstone, Hayling Island, Emsworth, Bosham, Itchenor and elsewhere all have our sympathies as they deal with the prospect of further storm surges and getting back to normality.
In terms of the RSPB wildlife reserves here, we've also been overrun by the storm surge. At the peak of the tide today, only very small parts of the Langstone Harbour islands were visible above the weight of water pushing through. There will no doubt have been some changes to the islands next time we're able to get up close and take a look. It's going to be especially interesting to see how the recharged shingle area on South Binness Island has withstood the seven (and counting!) Atlantic windstorms we've had so far this winter.
At the West Hayling Local Nature reserve, the Oysterbeds were almost completely covered by the surging waves. Many of the paths are now covered with a mixture of flotsam and jetsam that was left when the waters receded. I'm especially saddened to say that much of this is discarded plastic waste that has been floating in the ocean and has now come to rest. In places it is truly a sorry state to see and one that we'll be working to rectify once the current cycle of major storms has abrupted. Until then, please take care when visiting the reserve.
Above: the flotsam and jetsam left as the waters receded.
In the main Lagoon itself today though, there were almost a dozen Red Breasted Mergansers along with a smaller number of Brent Geese and Little Grebes, no doubt glad that the squalls were holding off for the time being.
Elsewhere at the West Hayling Local Nature Reserve, the storm has left a new temporary pond between the car park and the Oysterbeds where the sea over-topped the shingle beach and was stopped by the new flood defences. Hopefully it'll last just long enough to give the wildfowl an extra bit of habitat before drying up. An outflow stream had already opened up in the shingle as I was leaving today though.
The current landscape at the west Hayling Oysterbeds.
Above: New drainage channels on the beach.
The other noticeable addition to the Oysterbeds is the motorboat washed ashore along with several small rowing boats in different spots. Please be sure to treat this vessel with due respect as the owner is aware and aiming to get it afloat and repaired as soon as possible. However, if either of the rowing boats are yours, please do come and collect them!
Boat number 3, a temporary visitor.
Above: A smaller vessel, ready to be collected by it's rightful owner.
We're not through to calmer waters just yet so please do take care.