As I looked across the field the head of a female Roe Deer emerged, the eyes half-closed as she bathed in the warm sunshine, comfy amongst the tufts of grass.
Ahead, flitting from between the rambling brown strands of Old Man’s Beard to the newly opening buds of the Blackthorn was a Long-tailed Tit, which to me don’t look balanced as they fly, both tail and body heavy! As I watched another passed with a lump of wispy white something in its beak.
A flash of gold, indicated the Goldfinches, for once on the ground and teasing breakfast from the heads of a Common Daisy. In the air around the calling of Great Tits, Blue Tits and a Chiffchaff. While a smart male Chaffinch stood erect on the top of a bare Hawthorn.
Ahead of me a blurr of white a bird flew away – through binoculars its pinkish chest could be seen, and as it landed in the Field Maple I was able to enjoy a fantastic view of this male Bullfinch - stunning.
My first fully out Cowslip spotted, one of three this morning, while above the gorgeous song of a Skylark filled the airwaves, another hovering above the adjacent field as well.
The first mow of the paths around the meadows is taking place, so please keep to the cut edges to reduce trampling, disturbance and splitting of habitats.
Over to the downland, where having watched a Stonechat and a Linnet I was distracted by the water trough, so down to fix the slight trickling leak! This allowed me to spot the patch of Hairy Violets and some yellow ‘flowered’ Glaucous Sedge.
Returning up the Lighthouse Road, the quick song of a Cirl Bunting caught my ear, this a sound I would never have heard (or even thought about recognising) a couple of years ago, as I looked about this bird was on the clump of Blackthorn just below the Quarr.
As I stood, considering what a great place this was to walk in the morning, a Wheatear flashed its white rump as it moved from the dead branch to the limestone rock.