The ‘yaffling’ call of a Green Woodpecker was a great start to the early morning, as it flew past I could admire the red, green and yellow colours.
The deep croak of a Raven drew my eyes skyward where this huge crow was soaring, the classical long wings with spread fingers, wedge shaped tail and thick neck all evident as it flew over.
Alighting in the still bare twigs of a Hawthorn was a small group of Goldfinches, such a lovely sight as sound as they ‘tinkled’ to each other.
Just starting to circle above Durlston Bay was a Sparrowhawk, the long tail showing, as it soared, rising higher with every flap-flap-glide it did.
On the landslip a male Roe Deer was standing, gazing it seemed at the view just as the Isle of Wight was edged in gold by the early sun, before this amazing light effect was hidden by the clouds.
The tapping sound of a Great Spotted Woodpecker was echoing from somewhere high in the trees down by the aviaries, as I searched in vain amongst the branches of Horse Chestnut, Beech, Ash and London Plane eventually spotted on a Sycamore, the red trousers catching my eye.
During this search Wood Pigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Great Tit and Chiffchaff were spotted as well as the blossom of the Wild Cherry and the newly opening leaves of an English Oak.
In a crevice of a Holm Oak was a Yellow-lipped Snail, at perfect eye height to allow a good view as it slimed its way slowly down the rough bark. A little unusual I thought to see a snail so high. However on a Sycamore were 18 Snails – 3 different species including the Brown-lipped Snail and probably a White-lipped Snail – although the shell itself was all yellow and with less ridges than the other species – a most bizarre sight.