It was a dull start with cloud and wind, but the rain waited until towards the end of my walk. Vibration came from the wiggling radio aerial. Additional vocal cords were provided by the dense maze of branches belonging to the Black Pine beside the car park exit. Plum sized cones laid upon the floor.
I believed the shape shifting chatter flock of thirty birds to have been a charm of Goldfinch. More small flocks were seen of undulating birds moving fast so that do colours were seen by me! Dogwood held fruits, whilst a Blackbird alarm call sounded from over the meadow and was followed by the emergence of a wing fluttering Woodpigeon. A compound ball of Ivy fruit resembled the form of some well-made piece of jewellery. Horse Chestnut buds were only just sticky, Blackberries were beyond shrivelled whilst Haws remained firm. Beside the Tabersham bench and English Oak showed no acorns nor galls. So much grey branching lichen (Ramalina farinacea) cloaked the Long Meadow Blackthorn hedgerow. Field Maple masts dangled beside the Stagg bench. Only the briefest glimpse of a Chaffinch was caught. It appeared the one Carrion Crow sent another off to claims its perch.
In Taskers in Tri-Star forms, open pods showed orange Stinking Iris fruits. Approaching Large Copse, some of the meadow encroaching Sycamore show signs of Squirrel bark stripping. Through the evergreen canopy the wind had a voice again. Small Chiff Chaffs rambled through the hedge. It was not an easy day for bird watching. I stood at the wall end of a bird ringers glad. Here distant birds were seen, one made a U-shaped flight between scrub edges. It was a delight to find “hairy” Pin Cushion Galls sharing its host plant with Rosehips.
A Raven was heard before been seen upon its ascent from the coast over the downland. A clifftop visit only brought Herring Gull and Greater Black Backed Gull sightings as the rain came in. It was fun to find pop corn like clusters of fungi upon and old woodchip pile. Pale yellow, small with short stalks these are yet to be identified!