A surprisingly warm day for mid-November for my early patrol with the temperature at almost 12’C and no wind. So off to the clifftops where the Guillemots were jostling for position on the ledge.
The hundred or so black and white birds have arrived for a short stay, this is the time of year when they prospect the area in readiness for breeding in the spring. Looking at them the numbers in ‘winter’ or ‘non-breeding’ plumage was about half, the mostly white heads showing well, twenty years ago there would be more like 75%.
Also on the cliffs the year-round resident Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls, plus skimming the water a couple of long necked Shags.
The high-pitched calling of a Rock Pipit caught my ears, and I was then able to watch it as it drifted down until it disappeared amongst the crevices of the cliffs.
Overhead the croaking of a Raven was the loudest sound, the huge bird floating over, showing its characteristic features of long wings, triangular tail and thick feathering around the neck, before landing on the top of the mile markers where it continued to croak.
As autumn continues we are continuing to move the cattle around the Park to provide good grazing, reduce the poaching of the wet fields and to aim toward producing the ideal mosaic of grassland habitats for invertebrates, birds and flowers in the coming seasons. The Rangers and Volunteers will be setting up the electric fence in the Lighthouse field so the cattle will be moving there in next few days.
A flash of pink moving between the bushes was a Bullfinch, as it perched on the end of the branches of a Wayfaring Tree it stood out spectacularly in the dull day, while other patches of colour were provided by the orange berries of Stinking Iris, the red berries of Cotoneaster, Wild Roses and Black Bryony.
A good range of mammals with Grey Squirrels scampering up the trees in the woods, making quite a lot of noise as the crashed about.
Two Roe Deer wandered up the path, there dull brown coats making them difficult to spot initially. Last night a Badger trotted across the path, the scuttling of its nails on the hard surface the first indication of its presence.