The early sunshine which was peeking out underneath the low cloud just above the horizon quickly disappeared as it rose, making the early morning much duller and greyer.
Soaring across the sky was a Raven, the large size of this corvid dwarfing the Jackdaws that were flying alongside.
Colours difficult to identify in the gloom, but the white flashes on the wings of the Stonechats catch my eye as they flit amongst the Gorse on the slopes.
In the bottom of the gully, sheltered from the strong wind, was a flock of Long-tailed Tits, their chittering was just heard above the noise, and the long tails of these small birds easily noticeable.
In the woodland the loud squawk of a Jay caught my eye, this beautiful coloured bird – all blue, white and buff pink, floated through the branches.
As I was looking up a Great Spotted Woodpecker undulated as it flew, then it landed on the trunk of one of the London Planes, a close check with the binoculars just allowed a view, which from below looks like a red rear.
Along Long Meadow our other woodpecker emerged, the Green Woodpecker, considerably larger than the Great Spotted, but still the same flight pattern.
The squeak of a Bullfinch just outside the Learning Centre, brought these pink chested and white rumped finches to my attention, which was also grabbed by a Redwing which was perched in amongst the large clump of Brambles and Old Man’s Beard
My final duty of the early patrol, just before the rain started was a check of the Hereford cattle herd, as they munched the grass in South Field, currently all behaving themselves!