Much damper this morning than I expected - the grey cloud was in fact drizzle and mist!!
Standing with its feet in a puddle was a Wood Pigeon, much deeper and it would have been swimming, as I was watching this comic action, from above me came the cackling chuckle of a Green Woodpecker. This bird flew across the sky undulating in long swoops.
In amongst the scrubby hedge, where Silver Birch and Dogwood are growing a small flock of Long-tailed Tits were busy moving around the branches. Their constant chittering to each other catching my attention, but surprisingly difficult to find, eventually six spotted, the small dull pink bodies attached to the ridiculously long tails (look like a lollipop to me).
On the cliffs, water was dripping off producing a small waterfall, while on the large ledge 100+ Guillemots were stood. Some facing outwards and showing off the bright white front, other huddled against the weather showing their dark brown backs.
A Shag flew eastwards, a Great Black-backed Gull stood on a rocky outcrop and Herring Gulls argued from a grassy ridge.
Out on the downs a few brilliant yellow patches of flowering Gorse providing a blaze of colour to the very many shades of brown and green.
From the Blackthorn came the call of a Blackbird, while a Song Thrush was probing through the leaf litter.
With the rain falling I was intrigued by a patch of Lichen, hoping to find the Golden Eye Lichen (I didn’t) – it is coming to something when I start studying this constantly present but much overlooked family of creature/plant/fungi! Having taken some photos just a bit of i/d to do!