A glorious spring morning, with rich blue skies scuffed with a few scraps of high cloud and golden sunshine pouring down over an increasing spring-like landscape.
In the Lighthouse Field, the first few dark blue Hairy Violets dapple the short downland turf – in just a few weeks, these fields will be carpeted with blue. Here and there, Lesser Celandine are also in bloom, like tiny suns blazing up out of the grass.
A ‘charm’ of Goldfinches hopscotch around the branches of a Sycamore in the Gully – their crimson and gold plumage looking magnificent in the morning sunshine.
Down on Lighthouse Green, the green rosette leaves of Early Spider Orchids can be seen, though none in flower yet (unless you know better?).
A glossy black Bloody-nose Beetle plods across the tarmac near the Lighthouse, as a Stonechat ‘ticks’ from the Gorse down below.
At Tilly Whim, a tan and black female Adder writhes lazily in the sunshine as she warms up after a chilly night, with the chatter of a Rock Pipit from the clifftop behind me.
Fulmars carve graceful arcs through the air above the cliffs, with Great Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Cormorant and Shag also on the wing. Guillemots are crammed onto the ledges, with many more, along with blacker Razorbills, billing and growling on the water below.
Almost every circling Jackdaw seems to be carrying a beakful of nesting material, with the flock scattered as a Peregrine Falcon streaks by.
Down in the woods, a Great Spotted Woodpecker is drumming, while the woodland floor is carpeted with garlic scented Ramsons.
Our on-going bird-ringing study continued this morning, with a Willow Warbler a nice treat, along with Goldcrest and Blackbird.