A glorious golden sunrise made this morning special with a clear moon a little mackerel sky cloud formation to the west. At one point my shadow stretched beyond 20 metres across the field!
Our scrub boundary between Saxon and South Field was patrolled by a male Pheasant on the ground whilst in the scrub a pair of Great Tits progressed towards the Holm Oak of the Small Copse. It was a surprise to see a solitary Daisy growing in the grassy path- a survivor or pioneer? In the distance, whilst following the passage of Carrion Crows, I caught sight of a Green Woodpecker. Typically of a Woodpecker it was perched, upright clinging onto the side of an otherwise erect bare Ash branch. With bent wing tips a Kestrel soared past in land heading east.
As I ventured into the wares some of Hereford cattle were bulldozing into the scrub to browse the fresher tips. I was a little disappointed after watching subtle movement in a dense patch hoping that perhaps a Badger, Deer or Fox might be revealed. Being short of patience I ventured into the scrub to see a young Herford content in dense Blackthorn! At present many Ant-hills have been revealed where the cattle have preferentially grazed the associated Fescue grass over the less palatable Tor Grass. Where there is short sward (due to a combination of thin soils, rabbit grazing and salt laden winds) plenty of Earthworm casts can be found. One Rabbit was observed on the Gully slopes keeping cautiously close to the cover of scrub. Near the Lighthouse I inevitably disturbed a flock of Jackdaw and similarly caused Blackbird and Wren alarm calls. Off the clifftops I briefly saw a Peregrine head west whilst between the wavelets the odd Guillemot sat upon the sea or flying. A flock of some score Greylag Geese flew eastward along the cost in a broken “V” formation.