A Yorkshire holiday and Be safe…

Bay Ness, Robin Hoods Bay, in the evening light at low tide

You might have noticed the rate of my posts going down in the last couple of weeks – simple reason : I was on holiday, on the Yorkshire coast, collecting and photographing ammonites.

On the collecting side, it was hard work but some of the more remote locations I visited proved to be relatively productive – at least better than I had feared during this smooth-sea summer time. Nothing obviously being a fossil remains lying on the beach for long these days, accumulations of the so-called “cannon ball” nodules mostly containing Eleganticeras ammonites that we experienced during our first visits in the late 1980s are a thing of the past. Nowadays you need to look more closely, be at the right spot at the right time (after smaller or larger cliff falls have occurred) and be persistent, re-visit often to be there when large tides rework falls or the accumulated cliff debris on the beach.

On a more sad and earnest note, I guess tragic accidents like the one a couple of weeks ago at Burton Bradstock, Dorset, where a young woman was killed by a huge rockfall, can happen on the Yorkshire coast as well – I have seen the craters in the shingle produced by freshly fallen large sandstone blocks from the very top, so be safe when you walk along those ever crumbling cliffs.
And if some bloke with a beard did remind you to stop your kids hammering at the foot of the cliff, that was probably me…

On the photographing side, it was most interesting – I was given the opportunity to photograph a lot of ammonites where offhand I did not have a clue as to their species, did not know that they existed in such sizes or took my breath away due to their rarity, preservation and preparation. A big “Thankyou !” to all who helped so far shortening the “wants lists”, you know who you are, I will certainly be able to scratch out a few species off the list, once I´ve properly identified them…

Looking back at the pictures I´ve made during the holiday, I think I can say that my light “on holiday” photography setup (which I will show you in due course) did work, even in the sale room of a well-known Whitby fossil shop…

Thanks also to all old friends who came to join me again in my collecting trips, it is so much more fun to collect with you out there than alone, and thanks also to new friends who I met first time in person, it was a great pleasure to get to know you !

You might also have noticed that I have updated the earlier “Rare and re-bedded” post with some new pictures and text – I did have the ammonite sent to our holiday location, the picture shown in the post previously was by kind permission of the seller of the ammonite – thanks again, Daniel !

And also, what you might rightfully be waiting for, here are a few pictures of “teasers” – unprepped ammonites I took with me this time and a few I left behind…

I chose these especially to show you that ammonites when freshly found very, very rarely look as I´ve shown you in some of my previous posts – a lot of prep work is necessary to make them presentable. I will add pictures in their prepped state and possibly some prep photos once they´re ready…

AndyS