Initially the Isle of Wight was obscured from view, however, it was fully visible within the hour. I dodged puddles and avoided slippery leaf fall and headed for the coast. It was a calling flying Jackdaw duo that caught my attention. Evergreen Ivy added sails to some of the otherwise bare trees. Dripping from Holm Oak leaves were remains of the downpour I had escaped. Upon the timeline were a Carrion Crow trio exploring the ground. It was noted that lives still clung to the upright Elms by the castle.
At times it was difficult to differentiate between the sound of waves and aircraft. At caravan terrace the rockface dripped with almost clocklike regularity. Surface water rivulets had braided the steep path surface down to Durlston Head. Here the Needles Lighthouse lamp was seen, and the Island started to come into view. It was a delight to found a Kestrel hoovering near the Great Globe. It hovered over a patch of grassland on the seaward side of the dry-stone wall. It rose higher, hovered then fly off over the castle. A splash of blue came from one Greater Periwinkle flower. Both Tamarisk and Blackthorn wore raindrop at needle and thorn tips.
I had an excellent outline view of a Shag perched at the edge of Durlston Head. Its “Mohican” was clearly visible in its outline. Meanwhile Shags and Cormorants moved gradually along the cliff face. Flying in arcs it appeared as if a relay race was going on with birds going eastward. Both a Roe Deer buck and I were startled as we exchanged glances over the coastal wall. We spotted each other near the Dolphin hut and stayed on our own sides of the wall! Whilst the circling pair of Greater Black Backed Gulls was to be expected it was a treat to see a Fulmar also arcing off the cliff. It was another Guillemots morning with some eighty huddled together in the cliff cave. Hereford Cattle grazed the gully, one rubbing against the concrete Mile Marker base. Plenty of basal rosettes of leaves indicated future Orchid blooms amongst the short sward.