A glorious day!!
The strong southerly wind blasting across the water made for an exciting and very wet patrol.
A quick check on the Hereford Cattle who are grazing in Field 4 (eight acres) prior to their move to the Lighthouse field later this week. Despite the rain they all seemed fairly content.
Lots of mud out on the fields making walking slippery in places, the thin soil layer being overtaken by the underlying clay.
I struggled up onto the top of the downland where I was almost blown into the deep dips formed from old quarry diggings, teetering on the edge I disturbed a sheltering Dunnock which flitted from the rough grass into the Bramble patch.
Along to the clifftops where I was able to watch a glorious Gannet gliding just above the grey sea. Their black wing tips showing as they raised and twisted, the white wings flashing in the dull light.
Skimming along behind a couple of youngsters, their mottled brown backs more difficult to see than the sparkling white of the adults.
On the ledge half way up the cliff, Guillemots packed together, many facing outwards their white chests catching the eye. Only through binoculars, could I see that some of them were still in their ‘winter’ non-breeding plumage, showing their white faces.
Into the shelter of the woodlands and suddenly the bird life emerged, with Treecreeper moving up the trunk of a Horse Chestnut, the white front hugging the smooth park and great views of the beautifully dappled brown back.
A flock of Long-tailed Tits also flitting through the branches of this tree until moving into the twigs of an Elm. The long tails providing balance as they swung!