A still sky of blue steel and glass, with the sun pushing it’s way between streaks of high cloud, brushed across from horizon to horizon. Far out beyond the cliffs, the sea and sky merge into a grey blur.
Flocks of Woodpigeon clatter their way overhead, in flocks of up to 150, with many small charms of crimson and gold Goldfinches, their bubbling chatter ringing out through the still air.
A Redwing passes over the Visitor Centre as I write, with Song Thrush and Blackbird also on the wing this morning.
Along the drove, a family of Long-tailed Tits squabble as they forage for food through the hedgerow, hop-scotching over each other and rotating through 180 degrees as they feed.
Still plenty of colour in the hedges, now mainly from the leaves of Bramble, Blackthorn and the odd patch of vividly coloured Sycamore. Here and there, accents of bright orange from the eye-catching seeds of Stinking Iris, while the silvery flowers of Old Man’s Beard are woven in and out of branches.
In the woodland, the recent damp conditions have brought forth a wonderful array of fungi, including glossy black King Alfred’s Cakes, Candlesnuff Fungus and the weird, bulbous Dead Man’s Fingers.
Grey Squirrels chase through the canopy, with a Tawny Owl hooting from the depths of a Holm Oak Grove.
A few plants still in bloom in the meadows, including Herb Robert, Autumn Hawkbit and Ragwort.
At sea, a few Gannets glide by in the distance, with a small squadron of Guillemots hurtling past in a blur of wings. Also seen, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Shag and Cormorant.