What a glorious morning and a stark contrast to those recent damp, dull and foggy ones. Today the bright deep orange orb in the sky provided a gorgeous wintery golden glow across the National Nature Reserve, while looking towards the south-west a crescent shaped moon was also in the sky. This the first early patol since November when St Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight has been visible!
Off across the farmland to check the Hereford Cattle are happy after their move to ‘8 Acres’, the sunlight was shining on the chestnut and white coats as they munched contently on the mixed grass crop.
A sudden eruption of thirty five Jackdaws from the tops of the Hawthorn scrub, making lots of cackling as they rose, seemed to be caused by a Peregrine Falcon. This bird of prey was making slow headway northward, making deep flaps effort filled flaps with its wings, looking more like an overweight Kestrel – bulky body but pointed wings and more prominent tail. This was even more obvious when a Kestrel glided into view a little later.
A mass of rambling Old Man’s Beard, covered with off-white wispy seed heads, was been patrolled by at least 4 Dunnocks, hopping from heads to head as they searched for a pit of breakfast, as they moved they were constantly calling.
Emerging with a flash of red was a Redwing, this thrush allowing me to get a good close up view once it landed in an Elder tree, the pale stripe across its eye much the identifying feature, the red underwing patch very difficult to see as it perched.
A few Rabbits were basking in the sunshine, while on the downs a Meadow Pipit took flight, and near the cliffs a Rock Pipit. Another flash of red caused me to stop and search for a small black-grey bird amongst the cliff edge, eventually this Black Redstart was confirmed.