What a gorgeous day, bright sunshine and blue sky, but what really makes the difference is my ability to walk across the Country Park without sinking deep into the mud. The cold weather has frozen he ground – what a joy! With the sun out this pleasure isn’t going to last long.
The laughing call of a Green Woodpecker rung across the meadows, this large bird landing on the upright trunk of an Ash tree allowing me a good inspection of its markings. While doing this I could see the greyish trunk was covered in orange and black lichen species.
Bounding in the distance were 2 Roe Deer, obviously disturbed by something or someone, but it was there off-white pom-pom rumps that brought them to my attention, this puff moving up and down, the rest of the animal quite hard to see.
The sound of a Chaffinch singing from the top of the Apple Tree showing spring is on the way, as was the flitting and chasing taking place between two Great Tits.
By the lighthouse the high pitched melody of a Meadow Pipit, while just around the corner a Rock Pipit – much greyer and more upright moved about.
Down by the cliffs a sudden loud croak came from above where a Raven was floating, the large black body producing a shadow as it passed.
Not a Guillemot to be seen this morning, but instead I as able to enjoy watching a glorious Shag, in all its glorious splendour, the green sheen lit up by the sunshine, and the crest gently blowing in the wind.
The Shag was manoeuvring long stems of grass and Teasel but I couldn’t tell whether it was collecting them or arranging them for its nest.
On the ledge where the Peregrine often sits, instead were 2 Jackdaws and a Great Black-backed Gull.
An Adder reported as basking by Tilly Whim at 9.50am.