It’s a grey chilly morning with a very light mist in the air. The sky towards the cliffs is filled with hundreds of Herring Gull. Grey and brown feathers showing from the juveniles, and adult winter plumage. They float gracefully around on the thermals, without a need to beat their wings.
Fulmars fly in similar circling patterns, but closer to the cliff edge below. A wave of Jackdaw join flock with a cackle. And I can hear a Raven cronk from somewhere near the woods.
The Guillemots have provided a nice showing to visitors over the past few days, with the full colony having returned to their ledges and viewable from our camera feed in the Castle. Listen for their curious sounding trills as you walk along the coastal path and look out for the birds as they fly to and from the ledge, or raft together on the water.
Through the Castle woodland I check upon the health of some of the Ash Trees which have been affected by the dieback disease, with a few of the more dangerous ones ear-marked for felling this winter. A lot of these trees were planted around 1975, when Durlston was established as the county’s first Country Park. So it’s sad to not only lose the trees, but a part of the park’s heritage.
I head out to check on the Hereford Cattle. My walk out uneventful apart from watching a Kestrel hover and then unsuccessfully drop to try and catch something. The cows are quietly grazing the field. Their fluffy white and reddish-coats looking super cosy, compared to my freezing cold hands. Each of them wearing two pairs of muddy socks.