marinalifeonline.co.uk » > Nature on Our Doorstep

Great Crested Grebe in Outer Harbour

Jon Martin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:23:25 +0000

Every so often we are lucky enough to be visited by a Great Crested Grebe.

This chap was seen on 18th March 2010, soon after the Sospan had done a dredge. Presumably it released some tasty morsels in Eastbourne’s outer harbour.

Great Crested Grebe

Lucky Strikes Again

Jon Martin — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:26:06 +0000

Lucky the cat is a feline celebrity around Sovereign Harbour. Often wandering from North to South, in and out of the Waterfront. But he gets tired and looks for a comfy place to catnap. Unfortunately for JoJo the dog it was her bed and she didn’t like it. Like Lucky cared!!

Rough Weather Tests Eastbourne Marina Sea Defence

Jon Martin — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:49:32 +0000

It’s just as well I like to live beside the seaside because with the stormy weather the past few days I thought I’d be in it.

With high tides and strong gales Eastbourne marina’s outer seawall breakwaters have been tested.

As the photo I took yesterday below shows, the waves were having a great time hitting the breakwaters…

Why Herons are like London Buses..

Jon Martin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:38:52 +0000

It’s been a busy few days here in Eastbourne’s premier marina – especially if you, like me, are a fan of wildlife.

If the harbour seal wasn’t enough excitement, the heron’s long awaited return added to the anticipation. Then, he reappeared this morning, twice in three days – what a treat!

Return of the Marina’s Heron

Jon Martin — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:32:48 +0000

In an earlier blog post I wrote about seeing a heron in one of the locks at Eastbourne’s Sovereign Marina around midnight.

I’ve kept my eyes open since then and it’s taken a while but early yesterday another heron was standing statuesque in the outer harbour at low tide.

Seal Visits Eastbourne Marina

Jon Martin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:01:24 +0000

Residents and visitors to Eastbourne’s outer marina were in for a treat this weekend – if they were patient that is! For if they looked closely, they may have noticed a small head and two dark eyes staring back at them from the sea.

Click for more photos!

This is when he came ashore to rest…

Does Anyone Know the Collective Noun for Cormorants?

Jon Martin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:43:55 +0000

Well, there’s a pride of lions, a pod of whales, even a university of owls, but Eastbourne’s Sovereign Harbour has been blessed with a of cormorants.

The most I’ve counted at one time is 12, and the photo below has 10…

If you know the answer, or have some polite ;-) suggestions please reply to this post and share with the world!

The Midnight Heron

Jon Martin — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:50:37 +0000

Imagine my surprise last night!

It’s just after midnight and it was my turn to take JoJo the dog on her last constitutional of the day.

We were walking across the Locks towards Key West, where the lock closest to the Bermuda Place flats was empty for maintenance.

Something caught my eye, down there in the mud at the bottom of the lock. My heart raced though JoJo was too busy sniffing a patch of grass.

Then it took off; it’s wingspan seemingly too wide to enable it to safely get out. But with a graceful circle in the lock it came around and flew off.

It was a heron, obviously looking for a late-night fishy snack.

Marina Dive: Focus on SeaSquirt

Jon Martin — Wed, 09 May 2007 11:04:27 +0000

This is the third post relating to a dive I did in North Marina a few weeks ago and this time I’m going to show you one of the harbour’s most common marine species, although it’s also the one with the funniest name…

Here’s a photo of a couple of them:

Sea Squirt in North Harbour
photo: (c) Jon Martin 2007

The Sea Squirt is a semi-transparent tube-like critter, averaging the size of an adult index finger.

The photo is in macro mode so you can just about see the close-up details of the sea squirt, and you’ll notice some colouration around the opening at the top of the body.

This helps identify it as a yellow ringed sea squirt (ciona intestinalis).

Sea squirts have a sac-like body with two siphons (one to inhale and the other to exhale) through which they siphon water from which they extract nutrients.

For more posts with photos of life in the marina, click here…

Marina Dive: Focus on Starfish

Jon Martin — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:02:37 +0000

Following on from a previous post here’s your chance to go underwater and see what’s it’s like in North Harbour.

The photo below shows one of around 30 starfish that I swam over during my dive:

One of Many Starfish in North Harbour
photo: (c) Jon Martin 2007

The photo shows the commonest of the starfish I encountered, and this one was one of the largest at about 20cms across.

You’ll also notice (if you squint a little) that there are quite a few shellfish living nearby.