After yesterday’s storm, where Eunice produced some very strong winds for much of the day – only 68mph max but winds averaged over 40mph all morning.
A check of the woodland found minimal damage, (a few trees down, alongside lots of twigs and small branches scattered across the paths), but nowhere near as bad as other places.
While scanning a Ash tree for damage, I was distracted by the movement of a small brown bird, scuttling up the tree, through binoculars I was able to see the gorgeous colouring and markings of a Treecreeper, its bright white chest showing well even though it was hugging the trunk.
In the nearby Sycamore a small group of Goldfinches were flitting and chattering to each other, it makes you wonder where and how they spent their day yesterday!
From high amongst the thick dark green needle foliage of the Macrocarpa came the croaking call of a Raven, deep and noisy, perhaps it will be nesting here this year.
To the cliffs, where the sea was in a much calmer state than yesterday, but still churning brown and white with swell and breakers. The Guillemots and Razorbills have abandoned the area for the day, while Fulmars, Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls are still hanging around.
A superb view of a Raven as it rose from below the cliff to be almost within touching distance of me, a huge bird, especially compared with the Jackdaws I had been watching just previously.
Nestling down in the shelter of the rocks was a Black Redstart, it was the flash of white which caught my attention, allowing me to admire this charcoal grey bird with a white almost square on its wings and constantly dipping red tail.
Perched on the top of a spiky yellow flowered Gorse branch was a Stonechat.