A very autumnal start to the day – after a cool, showery night, the ground squelches a little underfoot, and raindrops sparkle on the bare, black branches of Blackthorn. A few showers during the morning rounds made me regret not taking a coat with me, though as I write, sunshine is starting to break through the high cloud and there is “enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of trousers” as my gran used to say!
The still air is filled with the tinkling calls of Goldfinches as they flutter from bush to bush, with the assertive notes of Robins, chatter of Long-tailed Tits and ticking of Wrens. A few phrases of the sweet notes of passing Skylarks from overhead, while Meadow Pipits call from the long grass in the Lighthouse Field. Lots of small flocks of Woodpigeon also passing over on clattering wings, with the ‘cronk’ of a Raven, carrying well through the still air.
As I cross the Saxon Field, a Cormorant flaps by, just a few yards above my head – taking a shortcut from the cliffs to Poole Harbour, while Jays dash in and out of the Large Copse as they stash away acorns for later in the winter. A Stonechat keeps watch from the top of a Hawthorn, with a pair of Magpies squabbling on the path nearby.
Here and there, strings of red Bryony berries hang from bushes, with a few Blackberries still to be found. Fluffy clouds of Old Man’s Beard gleam in the sunshine, while here and there, constellations of bright orange Stinking Iris berries enliven the damp, dark base of the hedgerow.
Along the cliffs, Guillemots are crowded onto the ledge – some in their speckled grey and white winter plumage, while others are already in their smart, black and white breeding ‘gear’. As I watched, I was treated to a wonderful winter sight, of hundreds of Guillemots pouring from the ledge to the sea, like a waterfall of birds. More bob on the water below, with a few Razorbills also passing by.
Here and there, a few flowers are still in bloom, with a few patches of Ragwort, Bristly Ox-tongue and Yarrow providing some late nectar for insects, while Ivy is still in full bloom, providing a valuable food supply. It is now believed that all of the Ivy found in Purbeck is in fact not Common Ivy (Hedera helix), but Atlantic Ivy (Hedera atlantica). Although the two are distinguishable, it does need very close inspection with a lens and a keen eye to be sure, as there seem to be a lot of ‘edge cases’.