Cumbria Naturally
  • Home
  • Blog
  • My Books
    • Cumbrian Contrasts
    • A Lakeland Experience >
      • Introduction
      • Derwent
      • Langdale
      • Ullswater
      • Kentdale
    • About Scout Scar
    • Atlantic Odyssey
  • Other Writing
    • What Larks!
    • Further - Explore Shetland
    • Autumn Migration
    • Rydal and Nab Scar
    • Perspectives
    • The River Kent
    • Wings
  • Gallery
  • Contact

Piel Island

16/7/2016

0 Comments

 
PictureYellow Horned Poppy 13 July
 A summer ferry takes passengers from Roa Island out to Piel island, then across Piel Harbour to see the grey seals basking on shoals.  A day of wonderful cloudscapes, a day to bask in the sun- fortunate because we have an enforced lingering.  Our field-trip was well organised but the ferry service was not. There should have been two ferries, two crew in each.  A single crewman plied a single ferry. So waiting about and queuing was the order of the day.  Luckily the sun shone and there were wildlife attractions.


Female eider with crèches of young swam off Piel Island. An eider in eclipse plumage puzzled me for a moment and an immature gannet diving for fish was a spectacle.  Piel Castle is a landmark for this Cumbrian coast and we had the opportunity to explore the ruins.  Those of us who know South Walney Nature Reserve were disappointed that the flora of Piel Island does not compare.  We did find yellow horned poppy, sea campion and tall hawkweed but not the biodiversity of South Walney.  At last, we clambered onto the ferry bound for the grey seals.

One of our party has friends who sail here, so she has explored this part of the coast in their company.  That sounds exciting. She told me she had bought a copy of Cumbrian Contrasts,  loved it, and gone back and bought several more for friends who loved it too.
The day grows brighter and cloudscapes and the gleam of sunlight on the sea is stunning.

Left to right: seals off Piel Island and vistas from the island. Piel Castle. The lifeboat station on Roa Island.
We disembarked beside the lifeboat station and walked up the jetty where stranded jelly fish glistened in the sun.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Jan Wiltshire is a nature writer living in Cumbria. She also explores islands and coast and the wildlife experience. (See Home and My Books.)

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    November 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    April 2010
    January 2010
    November 2009
    January 2009
    January 2004

    Categories

    All
    A Local Patch
    Birdlife
    Butterflies And Moths
    Flowers
    Locations
    Views
    Walks
    Weather
    WIldlife

    RSS Feed

Website
Home
Blog
Gallery
Contact



​Cookie Policy
My Books
  • Intro - My books
  • ​Cumbrian Contrasts
  • A Lakeland Experience
  • About Scout Scar
  • Atlantic Odyssey
    ​
Other Writing
  • Intro - Other Writing
  • What Larks!
  • Further - Explore Shetland
  • Autumn Migration
  • Rydal and Nab Scar
  • Perspectives
  • The River Kent
  • Wings
Jan Wiltshire - Cumbria Naturally
© Jan Wiltshire 2021 All rights reserved
Website by Treble3