As the rain fell heavily as I took my early morning patrol, birdwatching was put to the back as the binoculars were covered in water!
I took the opportunity to have a look at the winter work that has been being on, as this is the time of year we are clearing scrub and regrowth before the bird nesting season. We have cut back some hedgerows to make the paths wider and drier, but on this wet morning everywhere was muddy!
The Hereford cattle are doing a good grazing job in the Lighthouse field, munching around the Blackthorn regrowth some of which we will cut once the Cattle have moved to another field.
A small flock of Goldfinches tinkled across the grey sky and then landed in the bare Elder wonderful flashes of gold and red catching the eye as they landed.
From the adjacent field the twitter of the Linnets came wafting across, their small brown bodies perched in the branches of the Hawthorn.
In the woods a splash of pink colour from the Flowering Cherry, was of added interest through the raindrops, while high in the Plane was a Great Spotted Woodpecker, this black and white bird seen as it hopped up the trunk.
The tall thin leaves of Stinking Iris are accompanied by the bright orange berries, while the almond smelling flowers of Winter Heliotrope emerge from amongst the large almost round green hairy leaves.
A group of House Sparrows are flying around the Learning Centre, popping in and out the bird nesting box. While a Robin is flashing its bright orangy-red chest as it perches in the midst of the wispy white flower heads of the Old Man’s Beard.