Both the familiar cackle of Magpie, cockcrow of Pheasant and scratchy calls of Whitethroat reached my ear. Roadside in Lighthouse Field were Eyebright, and stems with whorls of needle-like leaves of Common Toadflax. Fleabane & Bristly Ox Tongue leaves also battled for ground cover. By the time I reached the demo quarr Skylark song was audible. It was a chattering trio of Goldfinch that flew by. Offshore a solo Gannet flew east whilst both a Herring Gull and Shag departed for the west.
Stems of Yellow Wort revealed some yellow petals whilst Gorse flowers had been replaced by seed pods. There were occasional striations from amongst the sward, and I was to see two different forms of first instar juvenile Grasshopper. A male Stonechat perched above the gully rock exposure whilst Privet flowers emerged from rock crevices below. Luckily, I saw the male Bullfinch that was lurking at the downland / scrub margin. In full leaf the wooded gully cover had Elderflower as the dominant bloom whilst Hawthorn was fading. An Apple tree showed small fruits whilst some of its leaves had been nibbled from the edges, others from within!
I believed I saw an Adonis Blue upon the downland, whilst the only other butterfly was a Speckled Wood beside the Small Copse. Seven Jackdaws explored the coastal ridge. A wild Rose bloomed from its anchor in a Blackthorn. I noted the fresh, shiny leaves upon at solitary English Oak. Ascending the downland slope I saw Bracken cover creeping out. I was surprised to see a cluster of at least three male Great Tits, however, as there were even more of the birds, I assumed them to have been a family. After finding fresh Roe Deer droppings I soon learnt that following mammal tracks through the tall sward had become more challenging. One Greater Knapweed had opened a solitary thistlelike flower. At least a trio of Greenfinch left a Sycamore in Saxon’s soggy corner. However, looking seaward I was treated to seeing a silent Yellow Hammer which was to explore the scrub for a while.
Spear Thistle leaves showed their needle like tips, Hops Vetch was amongst an otherwise bedstraw dominated Anthill. Another Anthill was being investigated by a female Blackbird, whilst at a similar ankle height a Blackberry flower showed.