A beautiful autumn morning, after a night of heavy rain, with high cloud adrift in a bright blue sky and some brilliant sunshine making the sea gleam so brightly I almost had to squint!
House Martins and Swallows (including some of this year’s youngsters, lacking the long tail streamers of the adults) swirl above Long Meadow, filling up on insects as they prepare for their journey to Africa.
The sweet notes of passing Skylarks are a constant companion to this morning’s early rounds – though just fragments, compared to their breathless song, the timbre of their flight calls is instantly recognisable as they pass overhead.
The jangling calls of Goldfinches also fill the air, as large ‘charms’ dart among the seedheads of Teasel and Burdock, or hopscotch along hedgerows, their plumage looking stunning in the sunshine.
Also passing overhead, Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, Siskin and Redpoll as autumn migration really gets underway in earnest.
Blackcaps and Long-tailed Tits weave through the tangle of Old Man’s Beard below the Dell, where a Crab Apple is covered in golden fruit. Chiffchaffs, Blue Tits, Great Tits are all busy feeding up among the hedges – their search seeming to take on a new urgency as winter approaches.
Still lots of Red Admirals on the wing, along with a Painted Lady and a lovely orange Small Copper, with Speckled Woods patrolling sunny glades in the woodland.
A quiet morning at sea, though as I stopped to chat to parkrun organiser Zodwa, who was busy setting up for this morning’s run, a Peregrine Falcon streaked past us, just a couple of metres away!
The rough weather yesterday made for a some amazing seawatching, with an amazing 5 species of Shearwater seen (Corey’s, Sooty, Balearic, Manx and large numbers of Great Shearwaters), all draw in in close to land by the weather.