What a fantastic early morning for my walk – a gentle easterly breeze and a brilliant blue sky, the air filled with a variety of birdsong.
Starting off towards the sea, a Grey Squirrel was chuckling and calling noisily from the branches of an Ash tree, by the Castle.
A few Greater Periwinkles now providing bright purple splashes of colour near the Globe, where Jackdaws were cackling as they perched on the bollards around it.
On the water well over 200 Guillemots were scattered, dark brown and white blobs galore, a constant flurry of activity as they took off, rolled about washing their feathers and landing in a crash and a splash!
In amongst these were 22 Razorbills, plus a few Herring Gulls and two Shags, both of which had their wispy crests showing.
Soaring around were two Fulmars, while the large black shape of a Raven caught my attention as is flew past with some type of food in its beak.
The ‘seeping’ call of a Greenfinch came from the top of a Pear tree, while nearby a Stonechat ‘chatted’. Gazing across the downs a movement from the Blackthorn allowed me to admire a male Blackcap (looking quite grey in colour apart from its black cap).
Just near the Quarr, I was hoping for a Yellowhammer, when a song vaguely like one but not quite right could be heard, scanning about, on top of a Hawthorn was a male Cirl Bunting – lovely to see, but I found myself a little disappointed to see this rare bunting rather than the Yellowhammer!!
Scampering over the short turf was a Fox, the sun catching the fur making it look very orange.
Overhead a Pied Wagtail undulated across the sky, while a Kestrel glided past.
Yesterday, a sudden whirring of wings spotted as a Red-legged Partridge headed up the path ahead of me. The dark red triangular shapes either side of its tail very obvious.