As much as I miss long summer evenings, the shorter days are certainly made up for by the beautiful late sunrises. Upon the wall of the Castle, the day’s first shadow was cast beyond the gnomon between VII and VIII this morning.
The Sun’s light stretches across the channel and Durlston Bay to glow upon the Head, the woodland, and cliffs below. The chalk cliffs of Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks shine a bright white, peering through the evergreen needles of a Black Pine tree and bordered by the Holm Oak.
Chaffinch and Great Tit provide a melody of bird song as I stroll along the coast path. Lovely pink Spindle berries have fruited along the walk, many of them bursting to reveal the orange seed capsule inside. The spindle branches spread out like an umbrella roughly 5’ above the ground – about the same height as the mouth of a grazing Roe Deer.
More fruits towards Sunnydale, with the striking red berries of Holly and Cherry Laurel stand out amongst the mass of green. Bay Laurel also adorns its fruits – a more subtle pale green colour. Buzzing around it’s leaves, a Buff-tailed Bumblebee was awoken in the warmth of the Sun.
The high notes of bird song intensifies towards the Aviaries, with Robin, Wren, and Treecreeper all vocalising their tunes. Lower pitched notes also join in the chorus; a Raven’s deep croaks, a Gull’s distant call, and the harsh screeches of a Jay.
A few Crocus flowers have now emerged, with the first few purple petals poking through the thick mat of soggy Sycamore leaves. Some of the Creeping Comfrey near the stone bridge is also in flower, alongside the truly spectacular rose-pink blossom of the winter-flowering Cherry.
A Greater Spotted Woodpecker could be heard drilling from somewhere up in the tree-tops. Shorts burst of the rapid drill echoed all around. Eventually, I managed to spot the bird inspecting a dead limb of a towering Sycamore tree. It’s red feathers alight against the blue sky.