After a wet and windy night, a lovely morning to be out and about, with sunshine and a few scraps of white cloud adrift in a deep blue sky.
Fallen Sycamore leaves tumble and rattle along the woodland paths, where the orange seedpods of Stinking Iris have exploded into brightly coloured stars, with red Bryony berries, pink Spindle berries and Dog Rose hips all adding splashes of colour among a palette of gold and red Horse Chestnut and Lime leaves.
Grey Squirrels clatter and squabble among the canopy, with the shrieks of a Jay ringing out through the sheltered woodland, along with ‘twits’ of a Tawny Owl – up past it’s bedtime!
The Hawthorn and Blackthorn scrub below the Caravan Terrace bridge looks beautiful in the low morning sun, in shades of red and pink, strewn with the gleaming silver seeds of Old Man’s Beard.
Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers dart in and out of the scrub, with a glimpse of a Firecrest, along with Long-tailed Tits, Robins, Wrens and a crimson-breasted Bullfinch. A chatter of alarm calls, as a Kestrel swoops past just above the top of the scrub.
On the other side of the bridge, Buddleia, Rough Hawkbit and Ragwort are still in bloom, while our newly planted Crab Apples are covered with golden fruit.
Overhead, a few Swallows tumble by on the gusty south-westerly wind, along with Meadow Pipits, a few Linnets and numerous ‘charms’ of colourful Goldfinches, filling the air with their jangling calls.
Along the Coast Path, a Bloody-nose Beetle plods slowly along below the Globe, with a few Gannets, ploughing into the wind out to sea.
Near the Learning Centre, a White Poplar roars and dances in the wind, with a Goldcrest, clinging on for dear life to the boughs of a Black Pine in the corner car park.