Country diary: Finally, my search for a starfish is over | Claire Stares

Hayling Island, Hampshire: After a year of trying to catch sight of the local population, one of them came to me, thanks to the recent stormy weatherThough common starfish (Asterias rubens) are easy to find in rockpools, they're an unfamiliar sight on the pebbly shores of Hayling Island. So my curiosity was piqued last May when swimmers started mentioning that they'd spotted them clinging to the chains that anchor the swim zone marker buoys.Of course, when I swam out and gazed into the depths, there was no sign of the promised galaxy of echinoderms. I put it down to an unfavourable tide state, but the starfish remained elusive throughout the summer and autumn. Even when conditions were seemingly perfect, the chains and seabed were always bare. Continue reading...