This morning had a lovely crisp feeling to the air. The sky was a stunning blue and the sun was shining bringing a gentle warmth with it. I ambled through the meadows to check on the cows. They were all happy and chewing away, a couple play fighting in the sunshine. Magpies dashed back and forth, Wrens called out from the thickets, and a Red Admiral shot by clearly on a mission.
Coming into Taskers Field I stopped to look at a gathering of Swallows high up. A larger bird flew into and through the mix and raced towards the Large Copse. It was a beautiful male Sparrowhawk, its barred breast gleaming as it caught the morning light. This felt like a successful start to the morning already.
I slowly moved through Saxon Field and was quickly taken off my intended course by the sight of a Wheatear perched atop a patch of Bramble. The meadow was alive with movement as a small flock of Goldfinches bounced by, a Spotted Flycatcher popped out from its perch, and dozens of Meadow Pipits flushed from the grass as I strolled past.
Again I planned to walk through the meadows further on but the Gully was brimming with movement so I found a comfortable spot and sat down to see what I might see. A number of Chiffchaffs moved busily around the scrub, tails nodding as they went. Long-tailed Tits scurried around in scrub, a Whitethroat sat in full sunshine on a berry laden Hawthorn. Two Jays screeched and fly by, the electric blue on their wings a flash of dizzying light as they crossed the sun. A Kestrel in the distance hovered briefly and dove to the group only to rise again a moment later to try again. Great Tits and Blue Tits were out and about in good numbers, a nice sight after the difficult spring they had. Just as I was about to move I noticed a male Blackcap bobbing gently in the breeze on a naked Blackthorn.
Making my way back White-tailed Bumblebees busied themselves around Clematis, a Small Heath alighted on some Ragwort, and a few last pompoms of Field Scabious bounced in the sea air.
A bounty of life on the penultimate day of summer.