A calm autumn morning, with a gentle breeze rustling through the river of golden Beech leaves in the woods, carrying with the smells of wet grass, fallen leaves and the sea.
A Treecreeper scuttles up the trunk of a Holm Oak in the woods, while nearby, a Blackbird shuffles through a pile of dry brown Holm Oak leaves.
A log on the edge of the Woodland Trail, is encrusted with the weird fruiting bodies of Candlesnuff Fungus, with Dead Man’s Fingers, Jelly Ear and King Alfreds Cakes all found nearby, with the brilliant crimson remnants of Red Cage fungus on the Timeline.
Above Long Meadow, a squadron of Starlings weave and dive, with several flocks of Woodpigeon also clattering through and with scattered Siskin, Redwing, Fieldfare and Meadow Pipit. Once again, many swirling flocks of Goldfinches – their crimson and gold plumage looking superb in the sunlight as they fill the air with their jangling calls.
A Buzzard circles lazily above Durlston Bay, riding the thermals along the cliffs edge, with a Kestrel zooming past below (while the Bird Ringers ringed a Sparrowhawk near the Learning Centre this morning, along with Lesser Redpoll)
Lots of Guillemots crowded onto the ledges this morning, flickering in and out to sea in their winter plumage. Also seen along the cliffs, Shag, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Oystercatcher.
As I chatted to Hamish on the clifftop, a small flock of Redpoll whizzed by overhead, while he had also seen or heard Marsh Tit, Siskin and a Golden Plover (a sign that winter is on the way) on their way through (though all in small numbers).
As I write, an excited shout from just outside, as the bird just overhead, being mobbed by a Raven turns out to be a Short-eared Owl, flapping slowly by, giving us a superb view of its plumage and distinctive round-headed silhouette, as it prepares for its long journey to Africa,