Riding in, I was fortunate that the Roe Deer by the roadside wall appeared to turn and head back into Long Meadow. It was a foggy, damp morning wetting the Tarmac, Clay and Limestone walking surfaces. At least I enjoyed “sunny” Fleabane flowers at the path side. Near the walling centre more “dusted” Sloes were out. Standing in the gateway looking in the undulating Lighthouse Field I could see no Lighthouse but the silhouette of the upper Mile Marker.
I walked past downland flowers including Greater Knapweed, Self-Heal, Red Clover, Red Bartsia and Corky Fruited Water Dropwort, with a background sound of Wren trills. Fox musk was smelt near the Goat Plot. A second Roe Deer was seen head west away from the pair of Mile Markers. The first of what was to be ten Meadow Browns emerged from amongst the Tor Grass. A few Gatekeepers also flew, on their mission to breed during their short adult lives. Nearby a Woodpigeon perform a see-sawing cooing. I then lamented the absence of the previously familiar Green Woodpecker waffle…
Cloaking Gorse needles were tight web tents, vertical sheets also stretched across open gaps, both emphasised by their water droplet “victims”. There was a patch of open see visible close to the sea cliffs. The cliffs were quiet, only white seabird poo staining the rock suggesting there had been over 400 breeding birds there. A quartet of closely huddled Carrion Crows were sent up from a dry-stone wall top near Tilly Whim gates. I noticed at the cave entrance that our skeleton had had it head “relocated” …
A pair of Shag flew together seaward out from the gully mouth. Herring Gulls put in appearance. The Fog must have rolled out to sea as I could see several boats, previously only heard, and the entire Lighthouse. However, this was to roll back inland again! I ascended the gully sides taking in Lady’s Bedstraw, Dwarf Thistle, Greater Knapweed, Yellow Wort, Rest Harrow, Spear Thistle and two Gatekeepers in flight. I heard a Magpie before seeing one fly off from the walling centre. Perhaps the same bird landed on the centre roof, however, as it called, and another responded I could not be sure which was which!