Off through the woods where the leaves of Horse Chestnut have turned brown, many fallen on the ground for a crackling underfoot. From above the Carrion Crows were cackling as they perched in the branches of the Macrocarpa tree.
The Snowberry bushes covered in small round white berries are along the woodchip path, while the bright pink berries of European Spindle are also to be found along with the smaller black berries of Dogwood.
Along the cliff tops, not a single Guillemot to be seen, not surprising given the blustery and rough conditions.
However, my attention was taken by the loud croak of a Raven, looking up the characteristic shape – wedged tail, long wings with wide open fingers and heavy head and bill – easily seen against the grey sky.
A sudden screeching alerted me to a Peregrine Falcon, zipping across the sky, the pale grey around the neck visible as it dived steeply, before swooping around again to provide more superb views of this bird of prey. The idea to have a closer look at it through binoculars was scuppered as it was travelling too fast for me to find once I lifted them to me eye – so I made do with real thing, enjoying watching it pummelling down.
As I walked home after last night’s Purbeck Film Festival Film – Limbo – from overhead I could hear the call of Redwings as they passed above me, one of the later birds to migrate.