It was a gorgeous sun rise again, however, it was soon tucked away behind the clouds. Frost was upon the ground in a few shaded places and an icy wind was present happily rattling the branches of the Holm Oak at Small Copse.
In the wildlife garden I was delighted to see a Smooth Newt swimming in the margins of the pond. Surprisingly nothing to report under the reptile sheets not even any insects. Whilst I retrieved an empty bird feeder some five Chaffinches, a Robin and Blue Tit observed me from the same bush. Whilst at the Stephenson Screen, taking the weather readings, there were two Robins playing verbal Ping Pong! The crescent shaped silhouette in the sky was that of a passing Peregrine.
I only had two Carrion Crow over the Wares. George also reflected that the Wares were very quiet this morning but he did report two male and one female Stonechat in the gully. One Magpie perched in the western hedgerow of Saxon Field. Eventually half a dozen Carrion Crow traversed through Saxon into the lea ward side. At the Hay Rake Quarr, I got closer the Song Thrush broadcasting from an Elder. The trill of Wrens came from the lower lying scrub and an occasional Blackbird alarm call or song was heard. What I considered to be the briefest snippet of a Raven call was probably a dog’s bark! Two Linnets flew overhead possibly followed by another seven high fliers later.
In Holcombe I noted a repaired piece of dry stone wall was in need of large capping stones, the delivery of which will have to wait until drier ground conditions. Adjacent old capping stones were exaggerated with curved conical wigs of Ever Green Ivy cover! The later still retained some winter bird food in the form of its berries. Very thick cable and rope like vines of Old Man’s Beard snaked through the undisturbed scrub over the hidden deep quarry pit.
Ben & Alex reported two Peregrine Falcons within 10 metres of each other on the cliff tops. Our first Adder sighting came in at 11 am from Alex beside Till Whim steps!