Setting out in the cooler, duller day than yesterday my first sighting this morning was a lovely Yellowhammer, zipping across the hedge and into the field. This was then followed by a chunky Brown-banded Arion slug, the largest of the native species.
I paused for a moment to enjoy the ‘carpet of colour’ offered in Saxon field, taking note of multitude of Invertebrates in various forms of locomotion or sat absorbing the warmth of the sun. The Pale Flax stood out to me this morning, possibly the muted tones contrasting with the brighter Oxeye Daisies, Birds-foot Trefoil, Horseshoe and Kidney Vetch and Yellow Rattle.
A Green Woodpecker then shot out from the small copse, possibly looking for a breakfast of the Yellow Meadow Ants that are seen in virtually every field of the park.
As I scrambled down the bank to the lighthouse road I could hear the distinctive Chiffchaff and Stonechat in the gully, contrasting with the mooing of the cows on the other side of the wall. I hopped over the wall to see what the fuss was about and was met with one of my favourite bovines, #700054.
Down towards the coast path I spied fresh evidence of Mining Bees, leaving their distinctive mini mole-hills. A single Guillemot scooted across the calm sea, watched from above by a Greater Black-backed gull.
I then found the remains of a Jackdaw, which by the looks of the was taken by a Peregrine falcon. Staying on the raptor theme, I noticed a Kestrel hovering overhead.
Down on the ground was several worker Bumblebees fueling up for the days buzzing around, as I noticed more and more of the splendid Bee Orchids.
The only butterfly offering of the morning was a Small Skipper, and that was it on the route back to base, where one of the juvenile Magpies was perched on the radio antennae.