The Brixham diver
I’ve decided to have a trip out to Brixham in South Devon. Yes, again. It’s a beautiful town, with fishing and tourism its two main legal sources of income. Smuggling has always been more profitable than fishing here, but, with severe penalties, like death by hanging, it’s had its down sides as well over the years.
In 1334, Brixham’s value was assessed at one pound, twelve shillings and eightpence. Now the price of a single average house is £250,000.
I’m taking photographs of the birds here when I see a diver in the water. No, not a Great Northern Diver. Well, he might be great and he could be northern, but he’s not that sort of diver. He’s got the full gear you need at this time of year, together with an action camera strapped to his forehead.
He’s got a float to indicate his position.
I suppose that’s a safety feature. You don’t want to be run over by a motorboat, after all.
Behind him I can see the bird I want to photograph. That’s a Great Northern Diver behind a pair of flippers.
He comes to the surface with a scallop.
And signals to someone on the beach.
When he comes back onto land we get chatting. Jamie’s got quite a haul and he’s very kind and shows me what he’s caught:
Multiple scallops.
And a lobster.
Brixham’s teeming with life below the waterline.
More Brixham
Shag again There are two species of Cormorant found in the UK, the Common Cormorant and the Shag. This is a Shag.… read more
Rock on concrete There's a Rock Pipit on Brixham Breakwater. I love seeing them here, as they skit along the top of the… read more
Waiting for the change I can't wait to see some Mediterranean Gulls in breeding plumage. Until then, I'll just have to appreciate how handsome… read more
Little mover The scientific name for the Pied Wagtail is Motacilla alba. Motacilla means 'Little mover' and alba means white. This one… read more
Cuttlefish for breakfast When I've visited Brixham harbour over the past few years and walked down the historic slipway near the breakwater I've… read more
Sparrow I love seeing Sparrows. They were my gateway drug into wildlife conservation. They were almost the only bird which visited… read more
A drip of water There's a drip of water on this Gannet's beak. It's just spotted a fish below, so it'll shortly be completely… read more
Buoyed I'm lying face down in fishy bird poo again and I'm swaying gently from side to side and up and… read more
The Crab and the Diver A trip to Brixham breakwater was a welcome break from writing, and organising my life. I love the Great Northern… read more