The light this morning a huge change for recently, with a crispness in the distance. Across in Bournemouth, some of the buildings looking as if they are new and on the Isle of Wight the Needles and St Catherine’s Point both easily spotted.
The sound of Bullfinches caught my attention as I walked down past Durlston Castle, in the blackthorn two stunning birds were perched. The jet black head and short bill showing up, while the chest was a very dull pink, as they took off the white rump flashed across the sky.
In the adjacent Hawthorn a flock of Goldfinches along with a couple of Chaffinches, moving through the branches. From behind me in the piles of rambling Wild Clematis the chittering calling of a family of Long-tailed Tits, plus a few Great Tits and a Blue Tit.
Down on the coast a Shag was skimming low above the water, a faint greenish tinge could be seen in its feather colouring. While on the ledge the packed in Guillemots were ‘growling’ to each other.
Across the path a black beetle was very slowly trundling, this Greater Bloody-nosed Beetle heading towards a patch of Cleavers.
Wandering along the downs a few flowers still poking through, including some pink dots of Wild Thyme and the brighter pink splash of Centaury – just a few of each of these spotted while I was admiring some fungi - Field Blewitt and Field Mushrooms.
A flock of Meadow Pipits down by Tilly Whim, two perched on the large rock which is engraved ‘Preserve and not destroy the turf’. A sudden flutter and the Pipits dropped down onto the ground picked up a wriggling invertebrate, returned to the rock where it started stretching and pulling the creature before consuming it (couldn’t tell what it was though).
Overhead a Raven was calling, before landing on the top of the Mile Marker, then uttering occasional croaks.