Our residential volunteer George, with his family, reported a Sparrow Hawk which swooped over them near the centre on an area that we will refer to “as not quite Katie’s Garden” and later a Greenfinch. About the Lighthouse they saw Meadow Pipits and Rock Pipits and saw Stonechats about the gully Gorse. They reflected upon the in seeing some Self Heal in flower. George and family caught a glimpse of the Green Woodpecker that I had only heard.
Upon Viburnum at one branch tip a cluster of white flowers remained. Beside lighthouse road a Cranesbill retained its 5 petal pink / blue flowers as well as its name-sake conical seed pods. Bristly Ox Tongue and Wild Bay Willow Herb stood as tall as I at the edge of Long Meadow but only the former retained flowers. A serials of spider web sails hung between the meadow’s uncut vegetation ready to catch flying insects. Elsewhere amongst Blackthorn and Wild Madder (both with fruit) horizontal spiders webs to catch crawling insects were beautiful sprinkled with water droplets from the mist.
My walk was slow and local this morning taking advantage of the corridors to catch sight of birds in the scrub. Three Blackcap flit about the scrub near the walling centre, whilst a Blue Tit preferred to call from amongst the cover a haws of a Hawthorn. A Chiff Chaff popped its head out to investigate me while , both male and female Blackbirds appeared beside long Meadow making alarm calls as they fled my approach. However, the awful squawks of a Jay came from the coastal woodland across long meadow, which although unappealing to me brought in a second such bird. A Wren’s machine gun fire call came in response to my attempts a young Reed Warbler calls!
Rain came in from the west obscuring the ridge of the coastal down land and later causing inundated Sycamore leaves to create temporary cascade as they shed their rainfall. Dry, crunchy, cornflake like Sycamore leaves laid on the ground yet fresh brethren also were retained upon trees.
Much later at the castle after the rain had cleared butterflies appeared upon the wing, Red Admirals most probably! An Earwig appeared from the crevice of the door at that reminded me that despite the rain I had seen a Wasp earlier fluttering amongst Burdock and Nettle leaves at the foot of the scrub. Grey Squirrels continued to forage for acorns in Holm Oak sending down leaves and water droplets whilst doing so.