As I began my early patrol I was able to once again admire another amazing sunrise, as the large orange orb rose above the horizon providing a glorious glow across the sea and the hills of the downland.
The churring call of the Great Tits from the tops of the Hazel trees was very prominent today, on looking through the binoculars 4 Great Tits were noted flitting through the branches alongside them were 3 Blue Tits, smaller and blue compared with the black colouration of their close relatives. Also in the vicinity were a small group of Long-tailed Tits, not actually a Tit so not related to the others. A great few minutes spent enjoying watching these birds.
I took the woodchipped path through the woodlands where I was lucky enough to spot a Treecreeper as it walked up the trunk of a large Macrocarpa tree. The white belly of the bird drew my attention to the appropriate area of the tree, as I looked the white patch moved, and as it travelled up the trunk there are few things it can be mistaken for, the beautiful markings on the bird easily seen through the binoculars before it took flight to another patch of trunk.
Out over Durlston Bay a Buzzard glided, the brown and white markings and large size making it easy to spot, until it disappeared amongst the trees of the landslip.
Higher still were some Herring Gulls, the loud calling difficult to ignore as they yelled to each other, soaring through the air.
The recent damp weather has sent some fungus fruits above ground including a patch of Field Blewitt – which have all gone slimy, the bright yellow Brain Fungus and some small white tipped fingers of Candle-snuff Fungus. There were also two species as yet unidentified one a large dark yellow brown in the woodland and the other looking like a mass of small bubbles or tiny round eggs dropped on a twig!
Emerging from the woods, the sound of a Bullfinch took my attention, this brilliant bright pink fronted male landed in the tops of the Birch, in a perfect position for me to admire, while nearby were 2 duller coloured females.