Another glorious morning for a wander around Durlston Country Park National Nature Reserve, with a very heavy crisp frost on the ground, making it hard and little slippery out and about!
To the east, rising above the horizon a brilliant deep orange sun, the cloud it was mostly hidden behind was outlined magnificently. Turning to look west the moon was showing, a ghostly white circle against the blue sky.
Around me the calling sound of a Great Tit, the tune “teacher-teacher-teacher-teach” coming from the clump of Blackthorn.
The frozen conditions required me to go to the far west of the site to check on the Hereford cattle, as I did I was excited to be able to watch Redwings. The thrush perched in the midst of a Hawthorn, a pale buffy-yellow breast but the dark red streak on its side spotted as it moved. On closer inspection (through binoculars) I could also see the pale thick stripe above its eye. A flurry of movement nearby and another 4 Redwings took flight before landing again amongst the scrub.
These my third thrush species of the morning, having spent a few moments preciously watching a Song Thrush and more time a bright yellow beaked Blackbird, perched on this spiky stem of removing the berries off the Dog Rose.
The mooing of the Hereford Cattle could be heard across the site, perhaps complaining that the trough was frozen solid – a chilly few minutes spent breaking the ice on this and a second trough, then off to open a gate to provide additional grazing. A few calls and the cows moved towards the now open gate, fresh grass and running water.
Some Long-tailed Tits chittering in the rambling mass of Old Man’s Beard, their bodies looking even rounder than usual all puffed up against the cold.
Along the coast Guillemots huddled on the main ledge, a mas of black and white