Another crisp, sunny morning with sky brightening into delicate shades of gold, peach and blue as the sun rises. Feeling a little warmer than the last few days, with the overnight minimum temperature a balmy 1 degree!
A pair of Ravens circle high above Long Meadow, riding the thermals as the sun starts to warm the chilly air, veering off to harass a Buzzard over the woodland and quickly chasing it off to the safety of Durlston Bay.
A Kestrel hovers above the Lighthouse Field, almost swaying in the breeze, while below here, small ‘charms’ of Goldfinches skip along the slopes of the Gully, their crimson and gold feathers adding an eye-catching splash of colour among the drab bronze of Tor Grass and their jangling ‘sleigh bell’ calls filling the air.
Along the Diagonal Path, a Wren, a little dozy and hungry after a cold night allows me to walk just a few inches away on the path, before darting back into the Gorse, with a Dunnock scuffling through the loose, spiky leaf litter nearby.
A pair of Great Black-backed Gulls circle each other just off the ledge at Tilly Whim, as a Shag flaps ponderously by further out to sea. Nice to see a Fulmar gliding in elegant arcs near the Dolphin Watch Hut – the incredible control and precision of their flight always makes them a pleasure to watch.
Out in the distance, a pair of Brent Geese pass steadily along a brightening horizon, with around a dozen Jackdaws flapping and chattering around the Observation Point.
On Caravan Terrace, Blackbird and Song Thrush hop across the short turf – a little easier to get your beak into, now it has thawed! Meanwhile, Long-tailed Tits, Robins, Chaffinches and a Bullfinch are busy among the scrub.