As the morning began the sky was blue with a few wispy clouds floating across it, these coloured with a pinkish hue from the rising sun, a large orb of pink out over the sea.
The yaffle of a Green Woodpecker as it flew above the fields started the wildlife sightings, the laughter accompanying me as I slithered and slipped on the sodden muddy fields on my was to check on the cattle.
All the time the fog was rolling in becoming thicker and smothering the first the distant views and then the woods and fields.
Blackbirds the most obvious bird, their calling and their reasonable large dark bodies making them relatively easy to find, the Redwing perched in the depths of a massive tangle of Old Man’s Beard fronds was much more difficult – but success eventually as the pale eye-stripe was spotted followed by a flash of red.
Down by Tilly Whim another flash of red, this time from a tail indicated the presence of a Black Redstart, this bird spending some of the winter here with us.
Also down by the ledges was a Rock Pipit, the squeaking call giving it away, and a good view possible as it flew around the corner.
Turning eastwards and peering over the sea wall, the large ledge was stuffed full of Guillemots, at least 150 to be seen through the foggy wisps, fortunately many of them were facing their bright white chests outwards making them easier to see. Their glorious growling sound wafting its way up the cliff edge.
In the woodland the chittering and buzzing of a flock of Tits captured my attention, delaying my return to base, as I watched Blue Tits, Great Tits and a fantastic group pf Long-tailed Tits hung and flitted through the branches of the Sycamore, Hawthorn, Hazel and Willow, just as I was moving on a Coal Tit and a Goldcrest also popped into view. And on arriving to write this missive a Bullfinch flew past its bright pink chest lighting the dull morning.