Leaving the Learning Centre/Ranger Office one needs a rain jacket as rain falls moderately from the sky! After a sunny and mild week, and a beautiful day on the Swanage beach yesterday running a stall for the Planet Purbeck Festival – this morning is not what one really wants to open the day with… Still, much rather be outside soaking than in some factory!
I walk towards the pleasure ground woodlands; on my journey I hear Robins chirping away at each other, a magpie, as well as a Great Tit singing away, I see five Herring Gulls flying matching the colour of the sky – white, not the usual blue one has become accustomed too. As I walk further, I spot a Wood Pigeon flying past and into a Holm Oak.
Into the Pleasure Ground woodlands, I notice how Majestic the Holm Oaks look in the rainy grey skies – so beautiful with the backdrop of the slightly wavy English Channel. I take my ‘binos’ trying to keep it dry under my thin rain jacket – as doing so I hear a Chiffchaff, and a robin, through by ‘binos’ I spot a Yellowhammer flying amongst the trees, and what I believe was a lone Shag flying low towards the water.
I walk out of the woodlands, towards the castle and decide to take a left onto the clifftop trail – I spot a few birds flying amongst a Holm Oak to the left of me I take my ‘binos’ and wait for about 2 minutes – these were Whitethroat. Then one was way too wet and decided to back track to the small copse.
Within the copse one takes protection from the rain seemingly pouring heavier and heavier – with the sound of water dropping onto the Holm Oak, Sycamore and the odd Ash. I walk further, I notice a small Beech tree trying to grow under the canopy of mostly Non-native Holm and Sycamore – completely distant to the Semi-Natural Ancient Pedunculate Oak/Beech Woodlands of Hampshire where I grew up.
As I walk back towards the Learning Centre/Ranger Office, I notice a Wood Mouse scurry along between shrubs – too quick for me to properly inspect it.