This morning patrol was under the influence of the water element! Whilst beneath tree cover, heavy water droplets cascaded down from over loaded wet leaves and branch pools. Out in the open, fine wind-blown rain had a gentle sand blasting effect. Upon the fields only a few Carrion Crow bothered to seek out worms and grubs. It was a good morning to see where drainage is and is not working!
I took brief shelter in the bird hide where a window flew open with the wind. Only ripples across the pond but no wildlife. Outside fresh Nettles and Goose Grass (Cleavers- sticky burr) leaves appeared at the path fringe. At the base of several tree trunks were “balls” of frothy foam at the foot of temporary tree trunk waterfalls. In the Aviaries a Monterey Cypress clearly had the best bark for foam formation! Plenty of raindrops splashed into puddles.
It was a delight to see a vibrant carpet of Violets in flower on Solent House’s verge opposite the pedestrian to Long Meadow. In the Aviaries Great Tits were heard on the edge. Progressing down the woodchip path a Blackbird swept across ahead of me. A feint Green Woodpecker call came from further inland. Large Horse Chestnut buds had begun to reveal its folded compound leaves. The tree itself was a mature regenerated coppiced stool. From somewhere a Robin sang, whilst a family of Long Tailed Tits put in a fleeting appearance within Holm Oak stems on the precarious cliff edge. Peering down into the “non-intervention zone” of the undercliff there was the barren leaf litter zone beneath Holm Oak beside the green flushes where light came through to the ground thanks to deciduous trees.
The Large Copse Tawny Owl nest box had something just beyond its entrance, however, just a leaf or feather dangling from a cobweb! Thanks to the Black Pines’ needles the wind could be heard passing over head. Whilst the evergreen Holm Oak erratically moved the bare stems of Ash and Sycamore had a simple metronome movement. Ground flora, represented by Ivy and Stinking Iris and Arum regularly juddered when hit by water droplets from above. Eventually the car park hosted the most bird calls (including Chaffinches), just as I had to go to record the weather! Today’s note were deciphered from rather soggy paper, at least I used a pencil rather than pen! Typically once installed in the castle the weather had improved!