A real change after yesterday’s glorious sunrise, today was a return to the blanket of low grey cloud. Chattering away from the midst of a patch of rambling Wild Madder was a Great Tit, the yellow chest split in two by the black vertical stripe.
Almost no wind, so the air very quiet, but allowing the chance to hear a variety of birdsong. As I stood at the edge of the field from the nearby tops of the Sycamore came the call of a Chiffchaff, a chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff-chiff as it perched.
From lower in the Blackthorn scrub, came the trilling call of a Wren, eventually spotted as it emerged for a moment onto a twig before flitting back into the prickly innards.
Blackbirds were ‘tacking’ from the almost white branches of Elder, while a Song Thrush was perched on a Whitebeam branch.
As I clambered over one of our wonderful old stone stiles, a movement caught my eye, and a Fox was trotting across the field. The pale ginger coat contrasting with the white brush on the end of it tail.
Further across the meadow a male Pheasant was alongside a much duller smaller female, the chestnut body and iridescent green head of the male showing up well. Did make me wonder about the foxes breakfast!
The many fingered branches of the large Macrocarpa tree, are covered in their short thick needles, Jackdaws, were perched on the ends of many of these branches, cackling away to each other
Right by my feet a Robin was hopping, the bright orange chest puffed up against the chill of the air.
Across the sky a superb Bullfinch was in flight, jinking around until landing in the Holm Oak. As it did the bright pink chest was showing, such a smart looking bird, the pink, black and grey contrasting, plus the white rump just adding to the beauty of this bird.
I caught a quick glimpse of a Peregrine Falcon as it dashed overhead, before disappearing behind the line of Ash and towards the cliffs.