What a fantastic morning to have a walk around Durlston Country Park National Nature Reserve, it can’t get much better with the October sunshine shining on a virtually calm sea whose colour changed as the small clumps of clouds passed overhead.
On the water a single winter plumaged Guillemot, was highlighted by the orange rays of the sun, a few moments later another 33 similarly marked Guillemots skimmed low over the water and disappeared towards the horizon.
From just inland the high pitched calling of Goldcrest caught the ear, and after a bit of time spent searching the depths of the Holm Oak flashes of gold were finally spotted.
Through the Gully the bubbling chatting of a flock of Long-tailed Tits was the dominant sound, and as I watched at least 15 flitted and fluttered between the branches of Blackthorn and squeezing between the ropes of Old Man’s Beard.
Taking flight from nearby a flock of Redwings, the red feathers under their wings flashing as they wheeled round into the sunshine. Last night under spectacular clear and starry skies flocks of Redwings were heard seeping – may be this morning’s sightings were the same birds!
Perched on the branch of a Wild Pear tree was a Bullfinch, its bright pink chest showing vividly but as two of them took flight the white rump was surprisingly difficult to spot in the light.
In the big Sycamore 3 Wood Pigeons and 3 Jackdaws shared the lower branches while flitting around the tops were Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and both Great and Blue Tits.
Taking advantage of the weather a Speckled Wood basking on a rock and a Small Heath in flight, while the damp conditions are encouraging the molluscs to slide about with Cochlicdella acuta, Helicigona lapicida and both Striped and Garden snails
Across the grass a Dor Beetle very slowly waddled its way, an even slower beetle than the Greater Bloody-nosed Beetles one of which was also seen.