Cleethorpes

Sybil and I weren't quite rambling in Yorkshire today, as I felt it was time for a beach visit - and what better beach to visit than Cleethorpes? Well, when the summer season is over anyway. Dogs are allowed on the main beach from the 30th September, and the rest of it past the leisure centre - the best bit - all year round.

Queen of the Beach

The first part of the beach usually has several dogs running free, especially on a fine weather day like today was, and today was no exception as Sybil instantly found a friend in a fellow collie-cross who just happened to have the latest ball launcher. Luckily both dog and owner were very friendly and both dogs enjoyed a good game of fetch before we eventually parted ways, with a kind gift from the collie/lab's owner of a rubber ball for Sybil to play with.

"Thank you very much!" :o)

A good half-hour was passed playing with her new toy as we headed round to the dunes. This part seems to run for miles, and probably does, with plenty of plants and interesting "smells" for the dogs to enjoy.

Grassy paths

Pure fun

Mmm, that fresh estuary air!

We finally sat down on a piece of driftwood, Sybil already having had a two hour-long run. But with plenty of energy left (Sybil, of course, not me), we scoffed down our sandwiches and headed over to the country park across the road.

Cleethorpes Country Park

I thought it would give us both chance to get the sand out of our fur, but before long we found ourselves missing the beach and quickly headed back. Sybil found a piece of driftwood she desperately wanted to play with:

So desperately in fact, that she ended up digging it into a hole.

 

Cleethorpes beach is good for dogs, but it is also excellent for birds. Whilst keeping one eye on my errant dog, my other eye was keenly watching the birds. I had, of course, forgotten my binoculars again (I don't even know why I bothered buying them!) but I did notice an oystercatcher and an egret. To be honest I'm not that good at identifying waders anyway, but it is nice to have a good look at them.

Some birds I can identify: Starlings.

A walk back through the dunes resulted in us meeting up with yet another collie-cross, this time with a German shepherd. He was a handsome beast of a dog, name of Max, and was quite taken with Sybil. She certainly prefers to play with her own kind of dog, and they raced each other back and forth all the way to the train station. With this being our stop, we bid them goodbye and enjoyed a tray of chips and gravy before returning on the train home.

But, of course, we had another game of fetch first.