April brings fourth yellow flowers, it’s the Cowslips time to shine
But Gorse can be found
The whole year round
And its flowers are always fine
Great Tits and Blue Tits were happily vocalising as I embarked on my morning misadventure. The wind whistled gently by, bringing the sounds of Goldfinches from the Wildlife Area. I had a slightly sombre walk through South Field next, with four Carrion Crows perched on an Ash tree above a way marker. It was shaped suspiciously like a tombstone, and had a patch of Daffodils growing in front of it. An ill omen perhaps?
Past the husks of Meadow Puffballs on Saxon Field I made a wonderful discovery. The first Cowslips are pushing their way up through the grass. In a week or two the meadows will be awash with the beauties. In the distance a Green Woodpecker called out, and I passed a Sycamore with another four Carrion Crows looking down at me with a sinister affect.
A long stroll later and I found myself beside Eight Acres, snatches of Skylark song drifting through the low cloud. Thin stems of Crow Garlic speared up from the ground and on the Downlands beyond I admired the bountiful yellow flowers of Gorse, which are always in season.
I completed my circuit along the Clifftops, walking past clusters of fleshy Sea Beet and the white trail left by a passing boat on the water below. Starting the ascent from the bottom of the gulley, the clouds above me parted briefly and the sun shone down on the path in an almost celestial fashion. I then realised that I’d been humming “Stairway to Heaven” to myself for the past couple of minutes. It’s a day for omens it seems.
The Cliffs were crowded with bird life, with dozens of Jackdaws, Herring Gulls and over one hundred Guillemots on the ledge or water. A single Adder reclined above the Tilly Whim Caves, which I regarded for a while. Much to my relief it didn’t start swallowing its own tail or anything like that. It just sat there. Sometimes an Adder is just an Adder.