The Sun rises above an orange-pinkish hue on the horizon which blends into a bright blue sky. It’s hidden behind a collection of thick clouds, from which golden light beams out onto the sea. It alights the colourful autumnal delights of red Rosehips, Haws, and pink Spindle berries ripe to burst and reveal the orange fruit inside.
The autumn leaf fall has revealed the sky through the woodland canopy, except for evergreen Holm Oak, Monterey Cypress, and Black Pine. You can see Squirrels scampering up the tree trunks and dropping acorns onto your head. Overhead, passing silhouettes of Crows, and the occasional tinkling of a flock of Goldfinch.
The remaining leaves flutter in a light breeze to the sound of chirping Chaffinch and singing Robins. I wander along the coastal path, following the dry stone walls which are now dusted with leaf litter. Ivy and Bramble creep between the stones, taking root in the mulch as it breaks down. Along older sections you’ll find the walls have become home to Herb Robert and Wild Madder.
I head down around Durlston Head, passing a group of birders meticulously studying the movements in a Sycamore tree. They report the sighting of a Yellow-Browed Warbler – a small bird with distinctive wing bars and eye stripes, usually only spotted a couple of times a year here at Durlston on its migration.
The sound of waves on the shore builds as I descend the slope. Here, small flocks of Woodpigeon gather in flight, yet more Goldfinch, but also Redpolls, and a single Linnet perched below the Castle Turret. All is well with the Sun’s warmth on my face and birdsong in my ears.