I walked out into streetlamp lit darkness with frost upon cars. The silhouette of Spyway Farm and the hedge line indicated a rising sun was beyond as an orange glow began to fill the sky. A waning gibbous moon was seen. A pair of “eyes” were in fact sunlight piercing through gaps in a drystone wall. At one point a pair of “halo-edged teddy bear eared” cloud shapes popped above the cloud belt upon the horizon. Herford Cattle were in the distance upon the reclaimed landfill.
As has become the norm, I passed Sika deer on my way in and heard the call of a Pheasant upon opening the boundary gate. Katie would later report seeing a Roe Deer Buck, with bumps indicating antler to come. Frost lay in shade lea-ward parts of the coastal ridge as sounds came from quarry vehicles.
It was a cold quiet morning on the downland. I was delighted to see a Magpie, hear the peeping of a Blue Tit and to watch a pair of Jackdaw fly to the Lighthouse. A trio of Goldfinches flew over the centre’s solar panels whilst another Magpie looked on from a Sycamore. The pond was frozen, and I was concerned that the female Blackbird at its edgehad claws frozen to the ice. After it pecked at the ground, I was relieved when it flew off ! From the Buddleia, a Blue Tit simply observed whilst the sound a Green Woodpecker came from further afield.
My “pishing” beside reservoir copse only got a response from a Jay. Both Ivy berries and Japanese Laurel berries were near Longmeadow. A Sweet Chestnut showed large brown buds, although not sticky today. I managed to get within a metre of a Robin then a Dunnock upon the path to the wooded cliff. Peveril ledges were exposed, and although the urban coast was visible the Isle of Wight was not. With Holm Oak leaf cover a Grey Squirrel scampered. A Carrion Crow set up from beside the timeline to perch looking over the Dell. A pair of immature Herring Gulls flew towards Swanage.
Take care as the ground is still firm and frozen but slippery in places!