23 November 2011

The changing face of Baglan Burrows

Bing Maps (left), Google Maps (right)
I was comparing Bing and Google aerials this morning and was very surprised to see how much the impact of motorcycles on Baglan Burrows has increased in recent years. Other obvious changes also include the development of a large blowout in the foredunes, but all is not bad as the dunes do appear to be accreting at the western point. If anyone can work out how old each image is this would be interesting to know, my very rough guess would be 1999 & 2009?

3 comments:

xleah couchx said...

id say it would be about a 10 year difference in each photo, its a shame whats happening to the sanddunes as well as the BP there was a large flock of nesting lapwings but now have been wiped out because they have dug out every little thing that used to be there (widllife wise) im not happy with what they are doing, they should leave it as it is and make it into a little nature reserver

Charles Hipkin said...

The large blowout you refer to was mainly the result of the sand extraction enterprise which occurred there about 6 or more years ago. Huge trucks were using this part of dunes to dump sand that had been extracted from the river - it was nothing to do with scramblers. There were hundreds of Sea Stock plants there a few years before that. It may recover.
Alas, I can also remember, as a child, what it was like in the 1950's!

David Carrington said...

An interesting comparison. We will be creating an artificial blowout at Kenfig this winter and I hope it develops half as well as this one! Beach nourishment is a technique we would love to use but it's too expensive.