A sunny early morning with the gorgeous songs of Skylarks pouring down from the sky. As I looked upwards theses brown birds were a dot against the blue, but rising slowly from the freshly growing meadow another appeared allowing me to admire the delicate white and brown stripes and markings.
Twittering furiously from a patch of Blackthorn was a small flock of Linnets, one standing proud above the blossom, showing off its pink bib. As I got closer there was lots of buzzing activity around the white petals of the Blackthorn – hoverflies, flies and beetles.
As I walked past one of our 70+ black bollards (many of these were brought back from London as ballast in the stone ships in the 19th century), a Great Tit appeared from its small hole, a flash of black and yellow, hopefully off to find more nesting material for is well protected new home.
Across the downland our spring Orchids are now beginning to show well, the blooms of the dark purple Green-winged Orchid low to the short calcareous turf, taller and more pinkish were the Early Purple Orchid, while the nationally rarer furry brown Early Spider Orchid can be found popping up all across the fields.
A couple of Swallows swinging in from the south, long tail feathers showing against blue sky.
Moving about under the Hawthorn, on which the bright green leaves newly emerging, was a Mistle Thrush, erect as it hopped across the ground, the spotted chest to be admired as it moved.
In the distance the loud call of a Pheasant, as well as that of a Green Woodpecker.
A wonderful display of Cowslips across many of the fields at present, thousands of yellow flowers to enjoy.
No sign – either sight nor sound – of the Grasshopper Warbler heard yesterday, but kept your eyes and ears open as spring migration is underway and all sorts of birds are arriving.