Shield-shaped harness mount & snow

Yesterday I attended a Weekend Wanderers rally near Four Marks, Hampshire. I found a couple of buttons and what I believe to be a shield-shaped harness mount, of copper alloy measuring 5.3 x 5 cms.

This afternoon we had a flurry of snow followed a few minutes later by a beautifully lit scene.

Romans at Shoreham

^{Yesterday was a club dig near Shoreham. It was a dry day, cold at first, but warmed up through the morning. A hammered and several Roman coins were found by members. In addition to a button I was delighted to find my first Roman coin. It is a copy of a City of Constantinople Commemorative, 334 - 335 A.D.  see also this link. The obverse has the second part of the new city goddess named CONSTAN TINOPOLIS and shows her helmeted bust facing left in imperial cloak and holding a scepter across her left shoulder. The helmet is laureated and she is wearing a cuirass (breastplate). The reverse shows a winged Victory standing facing left, right foot on prow of a galley with scepter in right hand, left hand resting on a grounded shield. It weighs 2 grams and is 16mm on the longest side.}

Sea fret

Yesterday we had the first major sea fret since we returned to Littlehampton. It lasted all day and crept quite a way inland - Jackie experienced it along Long Furlong in the afternoon.

Jack Snipe, birds, snowman & horses

This morning we joined Paul James for one of his guided bird walks along the Ferring Rife (above) and beach. There were three others who unlike us were knowledgeable birdies. We ticked off many species as the birds are coming to feed at the coastal areas of Sussex where the snow has disappeared. The walk lasted over two hours and was very enjoyable. Paul set up his powerful scope for us to get good views of some of the birds. The highlight was the Jack Snipe which is only seen at a few sites in Sussex.

Species seen: Jack Snipe (above), Red-throated Diver*, Great Crested Grebe*, Common Scoter*, Velvet Scoter*, Red-breasted Merganser, Coot, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling, Turnstone, Common Gull, Robin, Fieldfare, Stock Dove, Green Woodpecker, Skylark, Goldcrest, Pied Wagtail, Wren*, Jay, Jackdaw, Songthrush, Magpie, Blackbird, Redwing. We also heard Great Tits, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Redshank and Golden Plover.
(*I didn’t see these).

Black-headed Gull in winter plumage

Redwing

Beach walks, helicopter and coins

The lure of the beach was too strong yesterday and today so I went out with my metal detector and came back with £2.50 and an old penny to show for a couple of hours in the fresh air. A helicopter, presumably Coast Guard, flew from the east both days late afternoon. The snow is slowly melting, no freezing the past two nights, we are hoping this continues!

More snow during the day & snowmen appeared everywhere.

Snow

Last night - rain, this morning - a white blanket.

Cissbury, Lemon Grass and Plovers

Yesterday Linda visited in her new blue Smart car from Chichester. Later we walked up Cissbury Ring and enjoyed the view to Beachy Head. Nick joined us for a Thai takeaway from The Lemon Grass in Rustington. This afternoon I walked along the beach at high tide. A flock of plovers were picking at morsels by the water’s edge.

Cissbury Ring

Walked up to Cissbury Ring late afternoon. Frost on the ground. Could see to Beachy Head, 24 miles away:

View of Worthing:

View of Littlehampton, 8 miles away (block in distance is Kingsmere Court on the seafront)

East Preston beach

A brisk walk along the East Preston beach was refreshing to say the least. My woolly hat went on halfway through.

Oyster catcher:

Swanbourne Lake in Winter

Walked around Swanbourne Lake, Arundel yesterday afternoon. Plenty of people walking off the excesses of the past week. Melt water was flooding onto the road and the ditch leading to Arundel was also flooded.

Ollie, Parakeets and Endcliffe Park

We had a great Christmas break in Sheffield and saw many of the family and some friends. It snowed heavily the night we arrived so it was a picture postcard snow scene on Tuesday morning

Ollie thoroughly enjoyed his walks, especially in Endcliffe Park.

Four ring-necked parakeets visited the bird feeders, they appeared a lot during the year apparently.

Endcliffe Park: