Country diary: Swimming in the sea through a roiling shoal of silver sprats

Hayling Island, Hampshire: Screaming gulls and children, beaching baitfish - and something is bumping my legAs 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. Continue reading...