Starting my early patrol in brightness, I admired a male Roe Deer as it browsed on the fresh green leaves of a Hawthorn, his coat a fairly dull brown and antlers showing well. A few minutes later the fog was rolling in, beginning to cover the Country Park from view.
The calling of a Chiffchaff from amongst the Blackthorn blossom, was accompanied by the loud vibrant song of a Robin and the less powerful of a Dunnock.
The scratchy rattle of Common Whitethroat came from the clump of Wayfaring trees, which now have a covering of greeny-yellow flower heads. A short while later the song of a Lesser Whitethroat arrived at my ears, my first of the year, although reported yesterday as well.
A large splash of yellow along the hedgerow base of Primroses, in what seems like a good year for them, while a couple of False Oxlips were also spotted along with the fields of Cowslips.
By the gully, a crashing through the undergrowth, and a female Roe Deer emerged, her rump looking like a huge white powder puff, fur sticking out either side. As I admired, a pale orange Fox came along the same path – probably the instigator of the Deer’s eruption. The Fox sporting a white tip on its tail and a white underside, sat, scratched and then moved on.
The top of a patch of Wild Clematis was occupied by a Cirl Bunting, the female still showing her facial stripes, while looking at the male, sitting in an adjacent Bramble patch, the brownish-red band across the chest was easily seen.
Around the cliffs, the Guillemots were calling and growling as they bobbed around on the water, while on the cliff two Razorbills were standing on an outcrop – providing brilliant views.
A squawk, and a Great Black-backed Gull landed alongside a Shag, which promptly dived, to re-emerge with a flat fish in its bill, as it tried to swallow it the Gull landed again and the Shag dropped the fish, then dived to recapture – and this continued….
A few Gannets, 10 Kittiwakes also passing
A Wheatear, a Rock Pipit and Stonechats plus a singing Firecrest added to a super morning.