Last night was wild and windy, gusting up to 43 mph and my arrival at work was greeted both by a beautiful peach and blue sunrise and a thorough drenching! The morning rounds alternated between bright sunshine and heavy showers, with clouds scudding across the sky ahead of a strong south-westerly wind.
Down at the Aviaries, Hazel catkins dance wildly in the breeze, as a Treecreeper shuffles up the trunk of a towering Sycamore.
Jays flash in and out of the canopy – their bright blue wing feathers gleaming in the morning sunshine, as Grey Squirrels scamper around them. Stinking Iris seeds add splashes of colour to the woodland floor, with a Raven perched among the branches of a Monterey Cypress.
More colour in the Dell, where our newly planted Winter-flowering Cherry is looking magnificent, with the golden fruit of Crab Apples also catching the sunshine.
Around Durlston Head, the ferny fronds of Tamarisk dance in the wind, as Gannets pass the Head above a steely sea.
Further round the cliffs, Guillemots whir in and out from the ledges on flickering wings, with Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Shag and Fulmar also on the wing.
Birds are ‘keeping their heads down’ this morning – the wind and rain making it hard to feed. A Pied Wagtail hopping across the grass near the Learning Centre is blown sideways by the wind, barely keeping it’s feet, with a few Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits (along with Robins and Wrens) battling the wind in more sheltered corners of the meadows.
The summer seems a long way away this morning, but if you would like a reminder of kinder weather, why not join me in the Gallery at 2pm for some of my personal highlights of the changing seasons at Durlston – no need book, £3 for a 1.5 hour illustrated talk (though it will feel much longer!).