Last night we had a call out for an escaped cow and calf but no such escapes were found. Up by the old landfill site we had a great vantage point of the two Hereford cattle herds one in Saxon Fields and the other in field one. On our return we caught site of a Roe deer in South Field which ran for cover in the Large Copse. On castle approach Pipistrelle bats we seen on the wing.
I managed to hear a Woodpecker drumming this morning’s before having to attend to a fire alarm briefly set off during the clean up from last night’s wedding. Thus I was grateful to see the bird ringer’s active who reported the following captures: Garden Warbler; Blackcap; Willow Warbler; Sedge Warbler; Blackbird; Great Tit; Bullfinch and a Whitethroat recapture which is believed to have been ringed 2 years ago!
At the Centre a Song Thrush was fluttering against to French windows, possibly stunned from having flown into them, however, it was soon on its way. I briefly heard a ships fog horn indicating sea mist off shore. Goldfinches were seen by the centre and Walling Centre. Both Swifts and Swallows were on the wing whilst near the mile markers a pair of Whitethroats were having a territorial sing off.
Stand on the old spoil heaps above the quarr I was delighted to see my first Yellow Rattle and Eyebright flowers of the year! Both Birds foot trefoil (low growing often on verges and habitat margins) and Horseshoe vetch (only found on calcareous grasslands and Chalk hill blue larval food plant) are in flower, looking very similar although the is a daintier version of the . At the Large Copse I saw the progress of a dry stone wall rebuild. This wall had been hidden and tumbled down for at least a decade with fencing having replaced it. Senior Apprentice Ben has led a dry stone walling training session for this year’s ranger service level two apprentice, thus the wall was built to knee height. Unlike its predecessor the new wall meanders to accommodate trees!
Out at sea a Greater black backed gull headed in one direction then the other off shore. A Shag dove off the gully mouth whilst a man was struggling carrying a lobster / crab pot which could only have come from Dancing Ledge! Two Puffins and three Seals reported off Dancing Ledge.