As we arrived at the beach, the setting sun blazed orange, backlighting the sail-shaped Spinnaker Tower, which stood proud on the horizon. It was the perfect evening for a swim, the calm, dark sea reflecting like quicksilver. As we slipped in, two swallows swooped low above our heads – a welcome distraction from the water’s gasp-inducing chill.
All was quiet as we struck out on a loop of the bathing area. On the return leg, a lone sandwich tern was startled by our flotilla of fluorescent tow floats and flushed from its perch atop a marker buoy. As I followed its flight path, I noticed a frenzied flock of herring gulls and black-headed gulls hover-plunging close to shore.
