Welcome to October with a truly autumnal feel!
A duo of Magpies loitered beside the pedestrian crossing, camouflage perhaps! Three Woodpigeons were sent up from the Castle car park. Through our (I was joined by residential volunteer George) walk Scores of Goldfinches flew overhead. In the background Carrion Crow called whilst further evidence of corvid activity was suggested by the remains of a Pigeon egg shell on the sward in the gully bottom. A brief flurry of some twenty Swallows and House Martins appeared as we climbed out of the gully.
I looked underneath a slab in the wildlife area (deliberately placed for monitoring) where yesterday a quartet of Slowworms (one female, a juvenile and 2 males) had lain huddled side by side. However, today the ground was bare although nearby two Robins alternately sang brief ditties across the garden.
Initially one Gannet was seen to head east over the white crested sea swell. Further observation revealed a dozen Gannets were observed circulating over the waves off Anvil Point. Amongst them there were three Juvenile with completely black wings. A pair of Cormorants had chosen to head eastwards along the cliff line, whilst Herring Gulls and Greater Black Gulls seemed to circle about the gully mouth.
Towards the gully mouth beneath a limestone “tile” a Glow worm was a taking shelter was a surprise beetle discovery. Beneath another piece of stone George found a very active colony of Brown Ants with what appeared to be only one grub in sight. Worm casts were evidence of the nocturnal foraging of Black headed worms. Unfortunately, plenty of Brown Tailed Moth Tents were found scattered like wet tissue amongst Blackthorn branches about Lighthouse Green. Meanwhile, a pair of Red Slugs (Arion Rufus) appeared to have just separated from a mating twist. Both slugs breathing pores (pencil hole) were open a “slime” surrounded these two inch long molluscs. Hundreds of tiny snail’s shells were found beside a rock out crop near the green.
George confidently picked out a trio of Bullfinches at top the upper gully scrub. A bird of prey flew past the small cops, ordinarily this might have been a Kestrel however, today it was possible that a Buzzard might have travelled beyond Durlston Bay for a change