Another super early morning began as I watched a young Roe Deer standing still in the ’garden’, the rusty orange fur colour catching the early rays of the sun. Bounding nearby and then sitting scratching its long ear was a Rabbit, while last night, under a magnificent starry sky a Badger was trundling across the path, a clatter of nails as it went across the tarmac.
Down in the gully a Redstart moved amongst the Blackthorn and Sycamore, the fiery red tail making this bird immediately identifiable, a closer look showed up the grey body of this male.
In the same area I was able to watch a Common Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat while my eye was quickly drawn to the activity of a Spotted Flycatcher, which was dashing up and down catching flies landing on the same branch a number of times in between, fascinating.
From within the Tamarisk the sounds of movement could be heard, the brushing together of the fronds and twigs as at least 6 Willow Warblers flitted about. The fairly bright yellow fronts and marked eye stripe helping with id. A good few Chiffchaffs also about today along with Stonechats.
Although most have now gone past their best there are still few patches of flowers to be admired including Field Scabious and Greater Knapweed on the meadows where Red Bartsia and Restharrow are also still blooming.
Some small yellow flowers on the low growing Ladies Bedstraw as well a large Greater Bloody-nosed Beetle, this family of plants is the food for the larvae (of which I have seen none so far this year).
Along the cliffs the Golden Samphire is providing splashes of bright yellow, and the Rock Samphire a pale green, while a few pale lilac stands of Sea Aster and Teasel give a more colour to the dry arid brown all around.
Tumbling over the walls is the Old Man’s Beard, also known as Wild Clematis and Traveller’s Joy, this is now covered in delicate white flowers, alongside this the red berries of Woody Nightshade provide more bursts of colour.