A much calmer morning than yesterday, but with winds still gusting up 34mph. Footpaths through the woodland are covered in a carpet of twigs and leaves, it makes quite a beautiful mosaic of greens, yellows, and browns. By some stroke of luck, all of our trees survived the storm, with just a few large branches down at Sunnydale. Again, it was fortuitous to find these branches lying between the Mahonias, rather than on top, and leaving their pretty yellow flower spikes unscathed.
Although the top of the canopy has been opened to the sky, many leaves still cling to their branches further down; they rustle loudly in the wind. Over this sound comes the squark of a Magpie, a continuous chatter from a Wren. Good numbers of Woodpigeon appear to be gathering above. More of the birds join them, as my presence alerts small groups from the trees. They erupt into a frenzy of flapping, taking flight to join the larger groups above.
A break in the fast-moving clouds, enables the Sun to shine through to the edge of the glade. Here, it alights the leaves of Hawthorn, Bramble, and Ivy, and awakens a Speckled Wood Butterfly to dance in its rays.
My walk continues up through the woodland, where I find masses of Holm Oak acorns also scattered amongst the leaves. The Squirrels are making the most of this bounty, scampering up the trees with these nuts in hand. I even find a bright crimson-red Yew berry, which looks like it could be delicious to eat, but it’s seed is the most toxic part of this poisonous tree.
As I leave the woodland, the full extent of the Woodpigeon flock is revealed, with a thousand or more birds filling the sky. Like a starling murmuration, each bird copies the movement of its closest neighbours, creating a fantastic aerial display where the flock moves as if it’s a fluid in the sky. A few Goldfinches also fly overheard, twittering away as they go.