For today at least it seems the chill of the early autumn morning has arrived, requiring my first fleece layer since April!
The birds seemed to be noticing the cold a little more with less flocks of small travellers overhead than for the last few days, however still a number of Goldfinches, Linnets, Chaffinches and a couple of Siskins.
The early sunshine shining low across the meadows where numerous Crane Flies were emerging from and a scattering of flowers are still to be found.
Keep an eye out for Yarrow, the flowers a collection of small individuals, mostly white in colour although some are a delicate shade of pink. The occasional Clover, the thin petals of slightly curled and the yellow dandelion type flowers of Rough Hawkbit showing in amongst the meadow grasses.
Overhead the sight of a large black Raven, the deep croak drawing it to my attention, as I watched another joined in the ‘chorus’. Down by the coast a Carrion Crow was perched in the branches of a Black Pine as underneath a Jay flew the white rump and flash of blue from the wings very distinctive.
Along the clifftops a flock of 40 or so Jackdaws were tumbling and showing their acrobatic prowess while 3 Magpies perched in the Tamarisk chatting.
My full house of corvids was competed by a small flock of Rooks feeding on the emerging insects on the fields, the white beaks probing the soil.
As I returned towards the centre a Stonechat landed on the top of a Blackthorn bush one of the dominant species in the hedgerow, which also includes a Horse Chestnut whose leaves have turned a gorgeous rusty orange, Hawthorn and Ash as well as the rambling Old Man’s Beard, Privet and Black Bryony.
Last night more bat sightings including Greater Horseshoe, Pipistrelle and Noctule, while the sound of a Tawny Owl filled the air as it ‘twitted’.
A few moths still about with Frosted Orange, Scarce Bordered Straw, Feathered Ranunculus, Brick, Large Wainscot and Black Rustic.