I was hoping that the last pre-Christmas diary would be full of cheer and brightness, but instead the weather dampened my patrol!
The pungent whiff of a Fox, caught my nose as I walked along the Drove, this creature must have passed by sometime earlier leaving its distinctive smell for all to discover – hoping not to have wiped my trouser across to offending marking, I continued on to see the cows (don’t want to be accompanied by the smell of Fox allday!).
The Herefords all munching on the grass in Eight Acres, the tan and white fur dripping with the fog or drizzle, while around their feet two black and white Magpies hopped. As I counted the Cattle one delicately lifted its back hoof and gently scratched its ear, just as another bumped it from behind!
Overhead Herring Gulls was calling and a couple of Carrion Crows cackled before landing on the swaying branches of the Hawthorn.
Onto the downland and into the full blast of the wind, getting blown along it was difficult to stop to see the Blackbird and Song Thrush that were perched on the leeward side of a clump of yellow flowering Gorse.
On the ground a slimy cap of a Field Blewitt was growing, as were the small globules of the Puffball, just a couple of the scattering of fungi spotted as I walked.
The Guillemots were again packed onto the large ledge, the black and white bodies difficult to see in the merk, a few also in flight visible against the churning white crests of the waves and rolling greeny-grey sea.
Yesterday a family brought into the Castle a strange growth on and acorn, on investigation it turned out to be a Knopper Gall, which is produced by a tiny Gall Wasp Andricus quercuscalicis and this was the first record for Durlston of this species.
So Happy Christmas to you all, I hope you all have an enjoyable few days.