The last few posts have been very bird focused so I spent yesterday evening researching a couple of photographs that I had taken during the recent low tides on Rhossili beach. As you can see below the subject isn’t particularly glamorous but it was interesting for me as I was able to expand my knowledge a bit more. The first two photographs show a large number of Lugworms that have been left high and dry as the tide has retreated. The highest concentration were around Burry Holme where the rock pools were packed full of them. I presume this is a regular occurrence and not some specific event that had led to so many being left exposed. Normally the only signs of these worms are the small piles of sand that are left on the beach as they burrow underground.

12035 - Lugworm on Rhossili Beach, Gower
12036 - Lugworm on Rhossili Beach, Gower

Slightly further along the beach back in the direction of Rhossili I found a worm that I have not seen before. Unlike the Lugworm this one had many small legs along the length of its body and was much redder in colour. After a lot of googling I identified it as a Ragworm. The particular example below had been attacked by a Gull so isn’t perfect but it still shows the features off well.

12121 - Ragworm on Rhossili Beach, Gower

As with a lot of seaside creatures, I have found it hard to find a decent site on the web to help me identify what I have found. I used to have an absolutely brilliant book as a kid that contained pictures and text covering pretty much everything you could hope to find at a beach. Unfortunately this has been lost over the years and various moves. As a result I am once again on the look out for a similar book. Does anyone have any recommendations of what would be good to get?


4 Comments

stayz · August 28, 2013 at 10:44 pm

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stayz · August 28, 2013 at 10:45 pm

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Unknown · May 8, 2015 at 5:02 pm

these are tubrworms defo not lugworm was there a storm before you took these pics as they could have been ripped from there sand tubes that they build great pics

Unknown · May 8, 2015 at 5:03 pm

these are tubrworms defo not lugworm was there a storm before you took these pics as they could have been ripped from there sand tubes that they build great pics

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