The sky this morning was a mass of greys, who knew there were so many different colours within the grey spectrum!
Flying across, under the thick covering were numerous flocks of small birds, these included the distinctive shapes of Pied Wagtails – long tails and undulating flight, they also have an easily recognised call! A large flock of Meadow Pipits mixing with the flock of Chaffinches, flashes of white wings as they moved. Most of the others are for me impossible to tell apart from flight, their silhouettes all very similar. Many of these birds are on migration, some international while others just moving around this country or even this county
However from the sounds they made a few Siskins were going over plus numerous Goldfinches and some Linnets.
Across the meadows the purple heads of Greater Knapweed are still appearing as are the yellow ‘dandelion’ like flowers of Rough Hawksbit and a scattering of the white, but slightly pink-tinged flowered Yarrow.
In the distance the noisy call of a Pheasant, I instinctively looked in the direction of the noise and a male was perched on the dry-stone wall! Behind it, trotting across the field a Roe Deer the gingery colouration becoming duller as autumn proceeds.
In the woods by the Victorian Durlston Castle, a few Goldcrests were flitting amongst the thin twigs of the Elms, while a little higher up in the Holm Oak a Firecrest emerged for a moment, the white splodge on it face and streak across its head, the main differences from the Goldcrests.
Amongst the Gorse on the coastal slope, a Dartford Warbler bobbed up, the dark colour and long tail making it easy to recognise.
A clump of Sulphur Tuft growing from the trunk of a tree, while Cauliflower Fungus, Coral Spot Fungus and a Bolete (I need to identify which one) added to my interest as I walked around the Country Park.