An autumnal morning for the last day of September, the sun providing a golden hue to the Park and a south westerly breeze blowing across, a pleasure to be out!
The hedgerow seemingly dripping with small birds, as I opened the gate a flock of 10 Long-tailed Tits moved along down the Blackthorn bushes, their long-tails drooping and then swaying as they rebalanced on the spiny branch.
Joining in with this movement were bright yellow coloured Great Tits and the smaller Blue Tits. As I enjoyed watching them, more activity from the thin branches of the Elder caught my eye.
Here a Chiffchaff had just perched, a good chance to look at its creamy-yellow eyebrow and its dull browny-green plumage as well as the dark legs.
As I watched longer, more and more of these Chiffchaffs - small migrant warblers - flitted along the hedgerow, the constant flutter of wings making it impossible for me to focus on just the one!
Overhead, just to add to the action Swallows and House Martins galore, however nothing compared to yesterday evening when hundreds and hundreds were circling round and round in an amazing spectacle.
A sudden crashing sound from the Holm Oak woodland and a Roe Deer emerged, bounding into the open before continuing onto the downland.
A croak from above alerted me to 3 Ravens soaring over, two of which were so close together they looked almost like a shadow or a blurr, the third a little further back. Such a huge bird with its shaggy throat and wedge shaped tail.
The bright red hips of the Dog Rose showing amongst the wispy white flowers of the Wild Clematis, and popping out from amongst this mass Stonechats, their pale orange chests easily spotted.
A Skylark, Linnets, Goldfinches and a Goldcrest also spotted while the bird ringers had a Reed Warbler (late for this species to still be here)