Yesterday evening as I ate by evening meal outside the centre I enjoyed the swoop, glide, and sharp turns of the bounty of Swallows and House Martins catch insects around the building. The sunset and we welcomed over eighty guests for Stargazing. The Milky Way was fully visible and the International Space Station was seen passing only to disappear into the shadow of our own planet. A special thanks to Heather's 11th hour for help.
After a rapid tidy up of external Stargazing stuff, I set off but found Hereford cattle in South Field, so I called them into Saxon. This resulted in a sounds of pushed aside branches as cattle emerged from the Large Copse by pushing through the hedgerow in the northeast corner of south field. Thirteen cattle refused to move from South Field.
I eventually relaxed when I reached and gaze over the gully. What I thought was a pair but no, surely a trio, but actually quartet of Magpies that emerged from below the Demo Quarr. I heard the calls of an unseen Buzzard and gazed at the vapour trails between high cloud patches. A Jay called from the Copse as Swallow and Martins occasionally passed by. A Great Tit perched in a Hawthorn that wore more Ivy leaves than its own. Flying inland was a Meadow Pipit whilst it was a Dunnock that chose the fly from one side to the other of the Lighthouse Road cutting. Remaining flowers still included Yarrow, Fleabane, Great Knapweed and Common Toadflax. Meandering through the gully slope above the rock exposure I saw one then a second Rabbit scampering along cattle tracks. Meanwhile, from the rock face itself a Roe Deer emerged to disappear below. I was to see several Stonechats mostly silent excepted one male that called “Peep, Peep, Peep”.
A Raven was heard and then seen upon the lower Mile Marker. Its call appeared to have the slight echo. I passed the black fruit of Privet and orange ones of Stinking Iris. A Meadow Brown flutter amongst the downland turf where a Holm Oak sapling appeared near a cluster of Dwarf Thistle rosettes. I enjoyed the rippling sound of a Yacht as it cut through a calm sea as it sailed west whilst hugging the sea cliffs. Whilst I read the weather, a Robin sung away. Not a bad morning in the end!