Upon arrival both a pair of Rabbits run and quartet of Carrion Crow performed their own hopping about the car park verges.Today was my first full on patrol in fog and frost this year. In places yes it was simply sound, silhouettes & shadow! A Green Woodpecker, not unusually, was heard but not seen whilst Blue Tits and Great Tits visited the wildlife garden bird feeders the pond was beneath an ice sheet. Only Carrion Crow were seen in South Field, however, beside the small copse I heard the “pitter patter” of water droplets which could only be ice and frost melting off the trees.
Our Hereford Cattle were at both top and bottom of the gully with the latter group barging their way through Blackthorn scrub! Churned clay cattle tracks along with the ant hills and quarrying scars added to the diversity of the topography. On offer was a good range of “iced” cow pats and rabbit droppings.
Thirty Jackdaws perched in the Holm Oak and Tamarisk east of the mile markers whilst I thought I heard a Stonechat from the Gorse. Guillemots were seen but not heard thanks to the fog! Eventually a Raven took up its perch upon the lowest mile marker, where it sheltered behind the red triangle calling for its mate. Through the fog the sunrise took a variety of interesting forms. I felt the best of the sun beneath the Lighthouse alongside dormant burrowing bee holes and a lifeless fog horn! However, as I reached Lighthouse Green I witnessed an apparently rare white rainbow which in facts was a "fogbow"! Herring Gulls and Greater Black Backed Gulls were all that were to be briefly seen off shore.
Frost coated the coast path and lighthouse road surface in places. Honeysuckle which climbed through scrub showed fresh leaves whilst Gorse in flower also exhibited fresh buds! On several occasions found fresh remains of Garden Snail shells suggesting the activity of a Song Thrush (one of which I saw beside the Centre yesterday).
One Chaffinch made a brief visit to the bridge pear tree. Most of the time visibility was only 50 metres so hearing Sheep and the cackle of a Magpie added to the variety!