A calmness falls upon the world, the winds have passed us by
Nature will always yearn
For balance to return
To our ever changing sky
The red light of the rising sun peeped out over the Holm Oaks of the Woodland as I entered the park this morning. A very good start to the day. The Wildlife Area was occupied by several Great Tits, and as they clattered out their alarm calls a group of four Wood Pigeon’s fluttered past.
Large Copse hosted a small patch of Rosy Crust on a log pile, and the unmistakable calls of a pair of Green Woodpeckers peeled out through the trees.
After passing through Large Copse, I was drawn to the Paddock by an amazing medley of birdsong. Perched prominently on a Hawthorn was a Redwing, serenading the park with its beautifully rich tones. I crept slowly towards it, binoculars in hand and got a great view of the creature. Also in voice were several Robins and Blackbirds, with a silent Bullfinch diving head first into a patch of scrub, adding a nice touch of physical theatre to the performance. One of the Redwings was taking a bath in a puddle by the gate to Saxon Field, apparently immune to the cold. There were about a half dozen of these birds in all, flitting in and out of the hedgerows as I walked past. As the group emerged before me, another form sped after them, stockier, with a slate grey back. Looks like a Sparrowhawk had put them on the breakfast menu.
Striding on to the Gulley I spotted a few Turf Mottlegill emerging from the grass. A flash of white ahead of me had me momentarily baffled, but my binoculars revealed it to be a Herring Gull, coming for a brief little trip inland. The Gulley housed a group of three Chaffinches, being very vocal as they chatted to each other. The side of the gulley was populated by our Herefords, chomping their way through the abundant Tor Grass that grows there.
I headed past the Lighthouse and worked my way up to the diagonal path, enjoying the cool of the morning. As I rounded the bend at the top, a Dunnock shot across the path in front of me, a fine way to finish up my circuit.