Yesterday, I delighted in finding my first Snowdrop of the winter, albeit off site near Leeson House. Today had a grey start, however, masts were found upon Field Maple beside Long Meadow. Perched in a Ash was a silent Carrion Crow. Although many trees & bushes were leafless, Bramble, Wild Madder, Bay, and Holm Oak wore their evergreen cloaks. Brown sticky buds indicated Horse Chestnut, whilst it was a treat to discover a handful of Artichoke Galls upon one deciduous Oak tree’s buds. Robin tutting was heard, although the birds themselves were elusive.
The orange four segment fruits, peeped out from through thin skin upon Spindle. Solent Road had Privet berries beside it, whilst in the Pleasure Grounds I had to hunt through the carpet of leaves to find six Winter Heliotrope flower stems. Seemingly fly alongside each other, a Carrion Crow and Greater Black Backed Gull flew over the undercliff towards to castle. Also unseen, the trills of Wren rang out. After a Cronk was heard a Raven was seen also to fly towards the castle. A few Snowberries were upon dry, leafless branches. In the woodland the rumble of an aircraft sounded above a background of wind through trees sounds. Near the Poplar tree a Sycamore hosted a bare dangling cable like creeper of Old Mans Beard. Where the Holm Oak tree cover was such that light could reach the ground, a Black Bird explored the floor of leaves and Ivy. I was surprised to see a few branches of Tamarisk, poking through dense Bramble.