The other day, I took a wildlife wander along part of Somerset’s stunning Jurassic coastline near Dunster. Herring gulls glided effortlessly over the rolling sea, their evocative cries blending with the crashing waves, along with the harsher calls of black-headed gulls.

Further down the beach I heard the peeping calls of oystercatchers, their long orange beaks probing the sand for cockles and mussels.

The beach itself was littered with the fossil remains of creatures long since extinct but it was the living creatures that make this place their home that I was searching for.

Investigating rock pools has been a fascination of mine since childhood, and it still holds the same fascination for me now, as a much bigger kid. So bending down to check out this one gave me the same thrill I had back then.

The water was cold as I plunged my hand in to lift a large rock, where I discovered some shrimps and a huge shore crab. Turning it over I saw it was a female. You can tell this by looking at the triangular shape on the underside. It’s much wider in the females, which allows her to carry her eggs inside it.

Heading back, I saw a little egret searching for food on the shoreline, stamping up and down on the spot to expose the creatures buried beneath. From a distance, it looked like he was doing a little sand dance which did amuse me. Yet another great day wildlife watching near Dunster.

L B Loxley