A grey morning providing a very different feel to the last couple of days, as only a very small slither of sun shone through the thick cloud cover.
Down to the cliffs for the chance to see the Guillemots, but it was there sound that caught the attention first. A loud gargling and growling wafting up from the ledges where about 200 were perched, with lots of activity taking place, from bill knocking, mutual preening and some arguing as these birds reasserted their spaces. Most of the Guillemots on the main areas of the ledge were in their dark brown faced ‘breeding’ plumage while a higher proportion of those at the ‘batchelor’ end of the ledge and on the water were still in the no-breeding winter plumage with white faces.
Skimming low across the water was a single Shag while flying high above was a Cormorant, bigger and the beak looking longer than its close relative.
In amongst the Tamarisk trees along the clifftops a small flock of Blue Tits and Great Tits caught my eye as they acrobatically hung and dangled and flitted between the fronds of the soft ‘leaves’. As I watched the blue and yellow colouration of the Tits catching the attention until a flash of gold appeared and a Goldcrest was also in view, much smaller in size but still quite spectacular, however very difficult to get a really close view as they move so quickly amongst the leaves!
Resting in the long grass of the gully was a Roe Deer, the dull pelage blending into the background making it look on first sight like a clump of scrub and the antlers of this male looking like dead branches of Elder in the dull light.
Over the next couple of weeks the Cattle are going to be moving into the Gully, contained by electric fencing and gates, so please shut the gates after you and keep away from the electric wire. The Herefords are essential to the management of this very important area of downland as they munch their way through the Tor Grass which can otherwise take over smothering the more delicate downland flowers and grasses.