Next day the sky is clear and blue once more
Yet biting cold remains despite the dawn
The sun must climb before we feel the thaw
Until then I would do best to press on
The weather was very refreshing this morning, with low temperatures combining with warm sunshine in an extremely pleasant manner. A small charm of Goldfinches were alighting on an Elder inside the Wildlife Area, but I decided to head into the Woodlands for my morning stroll today.
A Red Admiral fluttered in front of me as I headed down Long Meadow, noting that the sloes on the Hawthorns were starting to go over. I could hear the heavy rustling of our Herefords over the wall in Boys Brigade field as they grazed away.
The woods themselves were alive with Grey Squirrels and Great Tits, both showing in abundance throughout my visit. I could also discern the distant calls of Herring Gulls from the town below. Green Woodpeckers were also yaffling away in the undergrowth somewhere, and I eventually caught a brief flash of green and red as one flitted past.
Growing at the base of a Holm Oak was an impressive Bracket Fungus (More precise id on the way), as well as a pair of Red Cage Fungi on the timeline. I would have liked more fungi sightings, but I did manage to spot a decent chunk of the Corvid family. Carrion Crows in the Car Park, Magpies and Jays in the woods, Jackdaws and a Raven by the cliffs, and a prominent Rook beside the Castle. Supporting a long beak and ‘pantaloon’ style leg feathers, it had a slightly clownish appearance. It still looks less silly than a Jay though.
Yesterday a pair of Buzzards were sighted by the cliffs off Durlston Head. They stayed there for some time, gliding gracefully on air currents and circling round in plain view. I wonder what they were looking for?