It’s pleasing to see some pink and blues hues as I set out this morning, following a forecast of complete cloud. Upon reaching the park, a bright glow appears to the Southeast, where the Sun breaks through the dark fluffy layers of cumulus stratus cloud. Goldfinch ‘tinkling’ in the air.
It cold. A contrast to yesterday; with multiple Painted Lady butterflies enjoying the Sun’s warmth.
Today, a cool winds blows white horses across the channel. It rises over the Downs, and buffets the thick red and white fur upon the Hereford Cows. The Lighthouse Field has been churned up by their hooves sinking into the sodden ground.
Small flocks of Woodpigeon race past as I descend towards the clifftop. They gather in groups of 10s and 20s, like the Jackdaw which flow together from the Tamarisk. Beneath them, the Fulmars circle to and from the cliffs, and the Guillemots bustle with activity on their ledge.
I head up into the woodland to be greeted by the familiar Great Tit song, and ‘tsee tsee tsee’ of a Goldcrest. I later spot another of these tiny little birds, further this route, flitting between the stems of Bamboo. Up in the Sycamore canopy, a bird’s call catches my attention – a rising and falling intonation, almost like a Greenfinch but not as loud or wheezy. A Bullfinch perhaps?
Most of the deciduous trees are now bereft of leaves, though no change for the dead English Elms affected by Dutch Elm disease. Fresh Stinging Nettles and Goosegrass have sprouted upon the glades below them. Behind a dry stone wall, a I find a patches of the coral-like fungus Clavulina cinerea, bright yellow Witches Butter.
There’s little colour to be found amongst the understorey this time of year, excepting the abundance of yellowing leaves. However, orange berries are displayed upon Stinking Iris, and crimson-red Rosehips add a splash of colour too.