We’ve been completely spoilt by the wonderful weather this week. The sun is shining, there’s a light breeze and the air is crisp. The sunlight glistened over the sea’s surface. The spectrum of blue shades made the pancake flat sea look like marble.
It was very quiet on the seabird front this morning, only two Guillemots on the shelf and a single 1st year Herring Gull flew over. A large clattering of Jackdaws smothered the cliffs.
There were plenty of Fungi emerging on the meadows. There was the odd Parasol (mushroom) still about, these are your ‘traditional’ looking mushroom, they have a creamish white parasol with brown bits on top, sat on a stalk, and are found in and amongst the grass. Walking across lighthouse field, thanks to the presence of our Hereford cows there were lots of Petticot Mottlegills. It’s a small brown mushroom with a dome top and a long stalk. Its nearly always found in dung and our cow pats are perfect for them to sprout their little mushroom tops out of! On the steeper sides of the meadows there were several small Puffballs.
By the lighthouse bridge, a very late Barn Swallow passed over, yet more surprisingly, headed inland!
By the castle a particularly unhappy Carrion Crow yelped, I quickly turned around to see a fleeing Eurasian Sparrowhawk, clearly the culprit who had upset the crow!
Plenty of Finch flocks about, chattering as they pass overhead. Keep your eyes pealed as we’ve had a Brambling and a Common Rosefinch this past week!
Other sightings this morning included Great Spotted Woodpecker, Redwing, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Rock Pipit, Woodpigeon, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Wren, Dunnock, European Robin and Great Tit.