Island 532 - Ginamoney Carn, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly

Ginamoney Carn is a small rocky tidal island located 100 metres off the north west coast of St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly between Periglis and Porth Coose.  I visited it for the first time in 2014.  However, at that time I was unable to find a name for it, so I didn't count it.  The island is linked to the mainland by a man-made rocky causeway, which I assume was built to make Periglis Bay more sheltered.

Ginamoney Carn is covered in grass. Pittosporum crassifolium trees and Escallonia rubra shrubs are growing on parts of the island. Both are used extensively as hedging plants to act as windbreaks around the fields on all the inhabited Isles of Scilly.  Pittosporum crassifolium is a native of New Zealand, where it is also known as karo.  Escallonia rubra is native to Chile and Argentina. The rocks on the island are covered in several different kinds of lichens.

Someone has created some hammocks out of old fishing nets and strung them up between the trunks of the largest Pittosporum crassifolium trees.

Ginamoney Carn from St Agnes

St Agnes from Ginamoney Carn

Hammocks made from old fishing nets

Burnt Island and Tins Walbert from Ginamoney Carn

Island 531 - Hermetier, Herm

Hermetier is a very small tidal island located 200 metres off the west coast of Herm at Fisherman's Beach.  It is easily accessible across a mainly sandy natural causeway.  There are some boulders to cross close to the island.  The rocks on the east coast of the island form natural steps, so it is relatively easy to climb onto the island.  An oyster farm is located to the north and northwest of Hermetier.

Hermetier from Herm

Looking south from Hermetier to Herm

Looking east from Hermetier to Herm

Oyster farm to the north of Hermetier

Oyster farm from Hermetier

Island 530 - Hommet Herbe/Houmet Jerbe, Guernsey

Hommet Herbe/Houmet Jerbe is a small rocky tidal island located 200 metres to the west of Grandes Rocques.  Access to the island is across a field of large boulders.  Flint and prehistoric pottery has been found on the island.  The island is composed of a very attractive pink/apricot coloured granite.  Autumn squill, rock samphire, sea campion and thrift all grow on Houmet Jerbe.

Houmet Jerbe

Houmet Jerbe

Looking east towards the fort at Grandes Rocques

Interesting rock formation on Houmet Jerbe

Island 529 - La Capelle/Chapelle dom Hue, Guernsey

La Capelle/Chapelle dom Hue is a very small tidal island located 300 metres from the west coast of Guernsey at the southern end of Perelle Bay.  Grass, thrift, sea beet and rock samphire all grow on the island.  

The remains of a porpoise were found buried on the island in 2017, during an archaeological dig to look for a religious building, which was thought to have been built on the island in the late medieval period.  The porpoise was buried between 1416 and 1490, according to radiocarbon dating and it is thought that it may have been buried to preserve it for consumption as food at a later date.

The skeleton of a Royal Navy sailor was discovered during another archaeological dig in 2018.  It is thought that he died around 1760.

Looking south east from La Capelle

Looking south west from La Capelle

Looking north east from La Capelle