In the enclosed canal the ripples on the surface of the shallows were caused by shoals of small Sand Smelt, Atherina presbyter, numbering over a hundred with a handful of slightly larger juvenile (first year) Grey Mullet, Chelon labrosus, as well. The largest fish was a mere 70 mm long and most were much smaller than this.
The
Japweed,
Sargassum
muticum, was seen again a a fouling organism
attached to the wharfage. Scraping off the weeds periodically seems to
made the situtation worse as this foreign alga is a early invader on bare
sites.
BMLSS
Algae
|
|
|
Broom
and Gorse
were on the steep bank where the footpath meanders down from Fishersgate
to canalside. The
Broom
was only beginning to flower.
NB:
Broom,
Cytisus
sp., the native one is Cytisus scoparius which flowers in May and
June. Cytisus praecox is early flowering popular garden variety.