Crispy and crunchy was the ground this morning, the puddles covered with layer of ice, which split as I stepped onto it to reveal the softer mud beneath!
In the hedgerow of Blackthorn and Hawthorn the sound and sights of the thrush family to the fore, a Redwing perched high in the branches allowing a superb view of its pale eye stripe, in an adjacent bush a Song Thrush was standing, providing a great opportunity to compare these two closely related birds.
The number of Blackbirds about in the scrub higher than usual, perhaps an influx has arrived from elsewhere in northern Europe, alongside the magnificent Fieldfares which I watched pulling the dark red berries of the Hawthorn from the stalks.
As I stood studying at a collapsed wall a Fox trotted along at its base, the orange fur glistening in the sunlight, reminding me to make sure a ‘Hogget Hole’ was built into it to retain the animal trackway.
From the downland the ‘yaffle’ of a Green Woodpecker caught my attention, the up and down flight of this very distinctive bird spotted almost immediately.
Flitting very noisily along one of the farmland hedges was a large group of 30+ Long-tailed Tits, the round body and long tail reminding me again of a flying lollipop.
Suddenly a blast of bright pink flashed by, this Bullfinch joining a few others in the tumbling Old Man’s Beard, its chest highlighted by the low orange sunshine – just stunning.
On the bird feeders Goldfinches showing well, while Chaffinches, Dunnock and Wren all spotted nearby.
From the woods last night last hooting of a Tawny Owl, with the crunching of the leaves followed by a grunting indicating the presence of a Badger – eventually seen as it moved out of the deep shadows.
As I returned to the centre a stream of children wearing Santa hats, Christmas jumpers met my eyes as the Durlston Dash began their run through the park.