The bird ringers we in so bird song recordings rang out. Still Wood Pigeons were on the move, about one hundred headed over South Field. Footprints were obvious in damp clay with Deer slots showing an exit from Goat Plot. A Carrion Crow unusually swooped and dove beside the measure mile posts. Another flew west with what was either an acorn or a snail in its beak.
I walked on the tight rabbit grazed path between the dense Tor Grass cover. Offshore an unfamiliar white hulled fishing vessel with code CS for Cowes headed west. Also odd was seeing a Garden Snail manoeuvring over Gorse needles. Today the sea cliffs had a little Jackdaw and Feral Dove activity. From the diagonal path the sound of a trilling Wren rang out before a score of Jackdaws emerged from the Goat Plot. An immature Herring Gull flying east was soon followed by another six, whilst a Greater Black Backed Gull flew in the opposing direction.
Before the gully mouth, a Rock Pipit paused on a wall’s cap stones. From the gully mouth I spotted the fluffy rump of a Roe Deer upon the inland rock exposure. Another flock of Wood Pigeon passed over, whilst resident birds chilled amongst the gully scrub.
I had to get up close to the Holly bush to determine if it held berries. Within twenty centre metres my odd vision did differentiate the greens from reds and indeed fruits were present. A Chaffinch pair were upon the bare crown of a Sycamore. Calls of a male Stonechat were heard about the gully. Opposite the inland cliff glances were exchanged with the upright ear Roe Deer. Rosehips remained fresh on the approach to the Horseshoe Bridge. I thought my ears deceived as I heard a trickling below me. A rippling puddle indicated a partial Winterbourne flow despite no such evidence towards the sea. Ascending the gully slope I passed a tennis ball clump of Branching Lichen with brown, dry Bracken fronds beyond. Upon a former quarry spoil ridge, a handful of Yellow Wort had closed flowers. My “pishing” only drew out Great Tits beside the Small Copse. A range of small flies basked nearby on the sun warmed stone wall. Again, near the centre, a Red Admiral appeared on the wing.