Only seventy percent of the pond‘s surface had a covering of ice this morning and it was dew that coated the vegetation. It was on my second pass and examination of Tilly Whim entrance that an Adder had chosen to come out. Today above the arch but nearer to the overarching Tamarisk branches, this specimen was stretched out full length maximise sun contact. My next treat was seeing the largest raft of Guillemots I have seen for monthly, near ninety with at least eight Razorbills amongst them. There might have been more but the sunlight made it hard to see. In addition a good thirty plus birds were on the cave ledge! Off the cliff themselves two Fulmar were in flight. Unfortunately, not a wildlife sighting but a black polythene sack was floating off the gully mouth and slowly drifted east. A trio of Herring Gulls passed by off shore also headed east whilst a pair of Great Black Backed Gulls took a playful flight together over the wares.
Two interesting finds today, one most likely to have been a Kestrel pellet which consisted of small mammal fur and just showing the distinction upper incisors of a Field Vole. The second find, initially cloaked in a bubble of “Cuckoo spit”, was that of a slug with a piece of tough shell on its rear. Katie remembers a new specimen of slug having been found in the gully with such an odd shell piece in the past.
Back around the car parks upon a verge were two Jays and a Song Thrush that latter which flew up to perch in an Ash tree. On long Meadow some five Magpies were in one view!
A congregation of ten Carrion Crow were at the car park margins at top two trees. I heard the call of two Ravens and then saw a brief interaction between Ravens and Crows near the walling centre. Near the later a long hidden stretch of dry stone wall has been revealed by scrub clearance. In the depth of the cover Blackthorn was cloaking in moss and lichen. A vociferous male Great Tit sang nearby.
Whilst a pair of Chaffinch were seen and heard from the tips of Elm, the rattling call of Wrens came from below. A Robin sang close to my ear from a Silver Birch branch.
Later Reports: 5 Adders reported as the sun shone.