For at læse denne KYST 43 blog på dansk, se her

See here for an introduction to the KYST project

KYST 43 I arrived back at Gedebak Odde three days later than planned due to military exercises at Raghammer Odde on the Friday. It was cold, wet and windy and for the first time since April I was clad in my thermal flying suit, as well as waterproofs, gloves and a wooly hat. Settling on the beach, I got to work immediately on a slice painting. The sky was incredibly dynamic and the gunmetal grey and deep indigo-blue clouds shot past overhead, sometimes accompanied by a rain shower. I struggled in the windy and wet conditions.

Eventually I walked on along the sandy beach. The sea was high and the waves took bites out of the coast. Thankfully the wind was on my back and not in my face. Often I was forced off the shore and on to the high dune that runs alongside the beach all the way to Raghammer Odde. The drizzle was relentless and I had to take shelter under the M60, but the soft sand meant it was impossible to secure it in the high wind.

Up on the dune I took shelter under the M60 and looked through vegetation towards the sea. There were few birds.

A group of gulls fed on the shore, picking small tidbits off the retreating waves. The rain and wind meant that I couldn’t sit and draw them through the telescope, so instead I retreated to the shelter of the umbrella, relying on my memory to guide me instead of the optical reality of the birds (see also top).

I wandered into the stunted pine forest that borders the dune and is part of the area used for military exercises. Save for the roar of the waves and the wind, it was silent and seemed empty of life. I carried on, all the way along the beach over the soft sand, dodging the incoming waves. Eventually I arrived at Raghammer Odde, a large open heathland where the military carry out regular military exercises. Despite, or perhaps because of this, the area is usually rich in birdlife and flora, but today in the relentless drizzle and wind there was very little showing. As the rain increased in severity I crawled under the M60 again, and tried to paint the rich colours of the Rugosa rose just next to one of the many bunkers.

Despite the grey dusky light, the wetness made all the colours incredibly intense – the strange pairing of the hot-pink flower with the tomato-red fruit, and the leaves all sorts of gold, yellow and green. I crawled out of the M60 and staggered exhaustedly towards my pick up point at the Raghammer car park, when the light was too dark to carry on, reassured with the thought that I would be returning in just four days

KYST 43

Weather report = regular showers and rain all through the day, some brief sunny periords. Temperature between 6°C and 8°C (though it felt much colder in the wind). Wind between 8 and 10 m/s from the east. Hours of sunshine: 0.5 hours.

Lessons learned – it is difficult dealing with the humidity and wind. I knew that anyway. My new hiking boots are good.

Stops with the M60 = 4

Kilometers walked = 7.80 km

Day lasted = 9 hours, 40 minutes

Birds seen and heard = 22 species (0 new ones – running total 136)

Other stuff = at one point a goldcrest almost landed on my arm as it picked methodically through the pines in the hunt for spiders and insects.

People talked to = 1

Snakkede med = 1

In my head – The trip to London last week. Hangovers. What ‘evil’ means.  ‘4321’ a book I’m reading by Paul Auster.