A most glorious morning here at Durlston, as I began my patrol the large orange orb of the sun was rising above the sea providing a magnificent golden hue across the National Nature Reserve.
The highlight of my walk was the sheer numbers of birds heard and seen, flocks and flocks of small birds passed overhead, at eye line and as I walked along the tops of the hill s they were also flying below me.
Some I could recognise by their calls, including Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits and Siskin, some by sight such as Pied Wagtails and Linnets and many many others which were just ‘little brown jobs’. As they flew over they all looked either golden or silhouetted due to the sun or were mixed with others, however I think it is fabulous just to see and watch them, regardless of species.
This is as well as I spent ages trying to identify a bird of prey as it disappeared into the distance over the sea – without any size comparison this was a lost cause.
Taking flight off the coast path wall was a Wheatear, the white rump so distinctive, while in the Tamarisk bushes a flock of Long-tailed Tits were dangling alongside some Chiffchaffs. In the tangles of Wild Clematis a tiny Goldcrest poked its head out allowing me to see the flash on its head.
Down near the Lighthouse, feathers were blowing about, on inspection through binoculars a Peregrine Falcon was plucking a Pigeon. The Peregrine standing legs apart on the prey while pulling clumps of feathers from the breast. A fascinating sight which I eventually tore myself away from and altered my route so as not to disturb.
In doing so I caused a male Roe Deer to take flight bounding across the downs, his coat now changed from the rusty brown to his dark winter coat.
Taking off from the ground was a Green Woodpecker, the loud yaffle blasting across the airways as did the squawk of the Jays. There was also the loud cronk of the Raven as it soared across the skies with a its much smaller Jackdaw relative in its wake.