Upon departure from the office there was a Green Woodpecker upon the stem of a leafless Sycamore tree. The green and yellow bird took flight and disappeared amongst the cover of the Small Copse.
A good score charm of Goldfinches circulated over the castle, however, more joined them beside the globe a briefly rested amongst the Tamarisk. My encounters with these currently familiar birds continued along the coast path. At the goat plot it was the Holm Oak which provided a brief roost.
The sea was calm rippled by the breeze. Durlston bay had a scattered dozen Herring Gull upon its rocky shore. Off Durlston Head a crab / lobster pot fishing boat was active with another much further out. Peveril Points ledges were exposed and although Bournemouth was visible the Isle of Wight was but a silhouette.
Below the observation point a solo Shag perched on the lowest ledge beside a fossilised algae ring of a tree stump. A second such bird was later seen flying east low over the sea off the gully mouth later. I was lucky enough to see half a dozen Guillemots fly out to sea from the cliffs. Perched above the sea birds cave ledge was one of the Peregrine Falcons. As often is the case the predator perched facing inland but with swift turns of its head it was able to scan east and west along the cliffs. After having walked westward I looked back and although I could still see the Peregrine there was no sign of Guillemots within the cave ledge below.
In a coastal sycamore previously occupied by a pair of Magpies and a Carrion Crow came the call of another bird from its lower branches. This turned out to be a Chaffinch which had a verbal response from an unseen trilling Wren. Shortly a response bounced back from a nearby Robin perched in the bare tips of Elder.
Beside the quarr two separate Magpies chose to ride upon the backs of their own Hereford Cattle. However, only one chose to investigate the coat of the mammal presumably for insects. Our Catherine reported frost (does this make this a “Frost Report”) upon the shaded taskers field.