It was glorious in the warmth of the rising sun, however, I missed a scarf and gloves when in the mornings chill wind.
It was in Saxon field where I had a brief encounter with a male Roe Deer. It’s distinctive white fluffy rump and short upright antlers disappeared into the scrub. For a change there was no stand and stare moments between us. As I progressed to a very soggy “ Saxon Sycamore Corner” a Song Thrush was flushed from the short scrub margin. Of course the meadows upon clay were most squelchy and puddled this morning. Nevertheless a Skylark was heard over them.
As I walked westward along the drier limestone coastal ridge I admired the clear view of St. Albans Head. A cock Pheasant rather calmly sprung up and scurried inland, silently for a change! All that was seen out at sea were minuscule white wavelets upon a gently rolling waters and one Greater Black Backed Gull sat upon the sea off the coastal slopes.
A single Red Admiral sat basking in the sun with wings open on the “new” dry stone wall beside the Small Copse. Occasional Bumble Bees appeared in flight. Earlier the sound of tapping or pecking suggested a Greater Spotted Woodpecker upon standing dead wood within the copse. Throughout the meadows it appeared that in each meadow pairs of Carrion Crows worked areas together seeking out beetle larvae beneath the turf.
A pair of black capped and red breast Bullfinches were seen deep and high in the scrub cover near with the scrub near round down. Goldfinches continued to flit past as Robins, Wrens and Great Tits were heard from scrub cover. A Green Woodpecker flew across the car park as I headed for the castle, where visitors reported views of the Peregrine Falcon on the cliff tops.
A handful of white Bramble flowers remained to be seen. Surprisingly one Honey Suckle flower was still to be seen where it had climbed to tip of an n other bare and exposed Blackthorn stem. One dwarf stem of Ragwort held a cluster of at least nine yellow flowers