On my recce walk this week on the marshes with other project workers, we were told that, basically, we would follow the creek. This turned out to be important!
The creek, although well hidden in the expanse of marshland, is still the only clearly identifiable feature – as long as you stay close to it. Because I was taking photos and recording the sounds of the place, as usual I got a bit behind the others in the group. So when I looked up to see them off in the distance, it was only by following the creek that I was able to catch up and not get stranded hopelessly in a maze of puddles and marshy ground.
I wonder how the ponies manage to negotiate the maze. I have heard that if they find themselves in the middle of the marsh when the tide comes in, that they just stand where they are until the tide goes out again. This would be sensible as the network of gullies that would difficult to get out from are as extensive as the marsh itself and the tide, when it covers this ground, cannot be terribly deep – even though it could be terrible dangerous. Is that why we found the rib cage and backbone of some creature? (see previous post).
I always find tides so fascinating, and this one is especially so. So much grass and growth in spite of the twice-daily ebb and flow. And then to hear what the ponies do if they get caught in it…wow. I lit up when I read the ponies waited it out, having just pondered the rib cage in your previous post. I am so glad you followed the creek and didn’t get stranded, because that would be a tough thing to wait out for a human with expensive sound gear. I really liked seeing the ponies in the distance.
Thank you so much for your concern Jet. I have not heard of people getting stuck out on the marshes but visitors to the area (the Gower Peninsula) regularly get stranded on the spit of land off the end of the Gower known as the Worm’s Head. Air Sea Rescue are quite often called out to rescue people unfamiliar with the tides.