A fairly bright start to the day, as I looked up a couple of Herring Gulls were passing over, their white wings showing against the rugs of grey cloud with small patches of blue sky visible between.
The wonderful sound of birdsong accompanied me as I strolled alongside a hedgerow filled with Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Japanese Spindle. Looking more closely up the trunk of this exotic shrub the wobbly translucent brown shapes of Jelly Ear fungus.
Alongside the dark green leaves of Viburnum small white flowers are in flattish heads, one of the few flowering plants at this time of year. While another – Winter Heliotrope – can be spotted around the woods, and a trip to the Castle will provide the bright yellow flowers of Daffodils.
A Song Thrush was warbling from the top of an Elm, a wonderful array of differing tunes, while a Great Tit was also showing off its range of sounds.
Down near the gully area a Stonechat was perched on the edge of a clump of spiky yellow flowering Gorse, while skulking through the lower branches was a Dunnock, its grey head and streaky back seen through the branches.
A sudden eruption of activity from the field and a male Pheasant burst over the dry-stone wall in front of me, followed by a Roe Deer that popped over, while another two were bounding in the opposite direction, its large white puffy rumps flashing as they went. This disruption to the Deer’s regime was caused by badly behaved spaniel.
Also disturbed by the dog’s actions was a Skylark and some Meadow Pipits which also rose into the air.
A little later, once the commotion had passed 4 Roe Deer returned to their browsing. While in another field 2 Sika Deer were standing, the male with a large set of antlers.