A bright and warm start to the morning as I walked up through the woodland, with shafts of bright sunlight making a haze mist glow beneath the high canopy of Black Pine, Monterey Cypress and Sycamore.
The dark green of newly planted Pines just one of (at least) 50 shades of green visible as spring starts to work it’s magic on the woodland. Clusters of the dark green spikes of Snowdrop leaves sit alongside the paler green ‘hearts’ of Lesser Celandine and Dog Violet, ferny Cow Parsley and deeply ‘cut’ leaves of Herb Robert. The glossy green strap leaves of Hartstongue Fern and sword-shaped leaves of Stinking Iris surround the glades, where Daffodils, Spring Crocuses, Primroses and Lesser Celandine are in bloom.
In the hedgerows, Hawthorn is coming into leaf, with fresh green leaves unfurling on Elder, while in sheltered spots, Blackthorn is starting to flower
A Great Spotted Woodpecker drums near the Aviaries, with Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits all seen or heard on the way up the hill.
A Raven ‘cronks’ from the top of the Castle, as a Peregrine Falcon glides by overhead through an increasingly misty sky.
Along the cliffs, Fulmars, Shags, Great Black-backed Gulls and Jackdaws circle the cliffs, with straggling lines of Guillemots and Razorbills on the water.
The glorious, breathless song of Skylarks rings out above the meadows, where Cowslips are starting to bloom, with a few Hairy Violets and a blaze of yellow Gorse.
Stonechats pop up from among the Gorse along the Diagonal Path.
As I walked home last night, along the Entrance Road, a Pipistrelle Bat whizzed by just above my head.