A superb view of a Green Woodpecker started my morning’s patrol. This large green bird was wandering around the short grass of the car parks probing and prodding the lumps and bumps with its thick beak. The nearness of it as it concentrated on its job allowed me really good views of the red moustache of feathers appearing to be dropping down its face.
Eventually it took flight showing off its pale yellow-green rump and yaffleing long and loudly.
The rain was dropping vertically splashing loudly on the large waxy leaves of Cherry Laurel and Japanese Spindle, while some of the Hazels are now showing their long hard dangly catkins.
The woodland floor is recovering from its covering of snow and ice, with the flowers of the Winter Heliotrope smelling slightly almondy, and the Primroses and Daffodils looking less traumatised.
A glorious patch of Wood Dog Violet catches the eye, while me ears were listening to the song of a Chaffinch, not yet in full voice but stop start efforts to perfect the tune.
From the woodland viewpoints the sea a sheet of grey except for the flicking of dark areas, especially along the tideline, these are most off-putting as they constantly look at a glance as though a dolphin is present – but keep looking as there might be!.
On our best specimen of Cherry Plum, the buds are formed and looking ready to open out, but not quite, this is the earliest of our blossoming trees.
A ‘seep’ from a Greenfinch which was perched on the top of the bare twigs of a Sycamore ensured I turned and looked at this bird which as I nearer the end of my patrol was bathed in sunshine.