It’s always slightly unnerving hearing the Cows graze the fields close to the Learning Centre when you could almost mistake their moos for being loose in the car parks. Fortunately they are rightfully grazing between the Yellow Meadow Ant hills behind the Warden’s cottage, Magpies follow in their wake.
It’s a still morning, with very few birds overhead. I only spot a couple charms of Goldfinch, just 8-10 birds in each flock. Hamish reports a couple Siskin and a few more Redpoll.
Instead, the scrub and hedgerows appear to awaken as you walk past them: A flutter of Chaffinch wings, a Wren’s quick-fire call, snapping branches from a heavy-footed Woodpigeon, and the charming notes from a Bullfinch.
Yesterday morning, a Snow Bunting was spotted from the Learning Centre. This is a sparrow-sized bird with distinctive ‘snowy’ black and white plumage. They breed in Scandinavia in the Summer and migrate south for Winter; not often reaching as far as Durlston.
I head into down towards the cliffs, where the sound of fishing boat trundling West, carries up the slopes. Old Man’s Beard in flower, giving the gully a frosting of white where the vines smother the undergrowth. Gorse speckled with yellow flowers.
There’s commotion below the clifftop path where our colony of Guillemots have returned to their ledge. Peering through the tall dead Teasels, I can see a few of the birds preening themselves upon the water as well. Shags flying close to the water, and Jackdaw high above.
On my return to the office, I stop by the Reservoir Copse and manage to hear the almost inaudible ‘see see see see’ from a Goldcrest.