A mild, misty morning, with bird song ringing out around the Park, carrying well through the still air.
The rhythmic ‘see-sawing’ of Great Tits from among the silhouettes of Blackthorn, with the insistent song of Robins, jangling of Goldfinches, sweet notes of Song Thrush and the syncopated ‘ragtime’ jangle of Dunnocks.
A large extended family of 15 or so Long-tailed Tits are bustling along the Drove, hopscotching past each other as they weave their way through a tangle of Old Man’s Beard and Honeysuckle, cheeping constantly.
The harsh cronk of a Raven echoes across the Gully, with the ‘giggle’ of a Green Woodpecker heard nearby.
In the woods, a Great Spotted Woodpecker is drumming (rather tentatively) near the Aviary Glade, with Coal Tit, Chaffinch and Goldcrest also seen weaving among the Holm Oak canopy. Tawny Owl and Jay also heard.
In the gloom of the woodland, any splashes of colour catch the eye, with the white fruits of Snowberry looking particularly splendid, along with the orange seeds of Stinking Iris, and patches of Yellow Brain Fungus on tree trunks.
On fallen logs, Candlesnuff Fungus and Dead Man’s Fingers can be seen, along with glossy black King Alfred’s Cakes.
Kestrel and Peregrine are out hunting this morning, with a Roe Deer seen bounding along the side of Long Meadow as I returned to the Centre.
Our cattle are out grazing in the western meadows and downs, however the near meadows are sodden and muddy, so for a walk, there’s a lot to be said for the clifftop and woodland at the moment!