As “variety is the spice of life” I steered away from my usual haunts of gully and cliff top. I headed down long meadow into the aviaries hoping to see some flowers developing. A silent “chattering” of a dozen Starlings flew by. A flow of Herring Gulls came up from Swanage lightly gliding in twos and threes.
White fluffy buds were upon Willow around the car park edge, whilst conical cigar like buds were showing on Laurel in the Aviaries. Within the woodland going off path I discovered a wonderful “fairy doorway” at the base of a tree. It was big enough to shelter a rabbit and suggested that the former tree hand grown around the trunk of another which has long since rotted away.
I passed Magpies and witnessed Carrion Crows communicating between the different clumps of tree cover. A Pheasant was heard in the large copse, but when I passed by it could not seen. I observed the bark stripped Sycamores on the edge presumably the work of Squirrels. I saw clouds drifting inland between the ridges heading for Corfe.
Another day with plenty of Blue Tit and Great Tit activity. Today’s crooners were Chaffinches and Blackbirds and eventually at least one Skylark was hear upon nearing Saxon Field. As I approached a very muddy gate passed a two centurions in the form of a Robin and female Great Tit (she had less of a black breast dribble than her male counterpart). Towards the Small Copse the unmistakable fliting flight and piping call of Long Tailed Tits led my eye to the wind shaped Blackthorn hedgerow. Some five of these active birds bounced between the branches.
Jackdaws were noted out upon the coast slope and a sailing sloop and Brittany ferry were seen upon the calm water. Upon the wares what looked like a large gull was upon the ground, but no those fingered black wing tips and grey back belonged to a Hen Harrier! The bird took of and flew towards the goat plot so I kept an eye upon the sky over said area. However, it was a Kestrel which appeared, briefly hovering before then venturing off about the learning centre.