A grey drizzly start to the morning, with the Sun trying its hardest to push through the clouds to the East. Clad in full waterproofs I set out on my walk through the puddles and mud.
It was a quiet start with a cheery Great Tit clocked as my first bird of the day. It’s yellow-green feathers could be seen flying back and forth across the undergrowth as it sung its song. The repetitive two-syllable twittering of a second Great Tit could also be heard in the background, and the low croaks of a Magpie high up in the Poplar.
The rain thickens. A rather sodden looking Squirrel scavenges around the water-logged Aviary Glade. Alerted by my presence, it makes through the bordering Hazel and scampers up the slippery bank with ease. It pauses on a hedge of Holly at the top before disappearing behind it.
All of sudden, I realise that the rain has stopped and a bright blue sky has appeared above the canopy. I take my hood down which reveals a melody of bird song celebrating the sunshine. Blue Tits, Robins and Wrens, all chime into the chorus. Even a Great Spotted Woodpecker resumes its drilling against a tree.
Everything begins to glisten in the light. Rose-pink petals on the winter-flowering Cherry, fresh lime-green Spindle leaves, the yellow bark of a Plane tree, and the white wing feathers of a Magpie passing overhead.
I managed to walk all the way round to the clifftop and Observation point, where there must have been about 40 Jackdaws floating en masse. They take flight from the Tamarisk and head towards the Lighthouse.
Looking down over the cliffs, a few Fulmars and a Shag fly above the messy water. If you manage to spot a Shag perched on the rocks, you might be able to notice their characteristic quiff at this time of year. I couldn’t spot any Guillemots or Razorbills, but I wonder whether there could be some tucked in below on the lower ledge.