Foaming seas roll in
Black tipped wings patrol above
Dawn of the low sun
A dreary and dim start this morning, the north pole has reached it’s maximum tilt away from the sun, on this day of the winter solstice. The wind is blowing reliably from the west and barracking over the sound of any bird song nearby. Opting for the shelter a tree canopy, I head down into the woods, but not before spotting a recent regular visitor to the park, a lone Grey Heron, as it flies high above the Long Meadow.
Here in the woodland it’s quiet. The loud call of a Green Woodpecker briefly dominates through the trees. Along the woodland path, Blackbirds, Wrens, and Squirrels duck into the hedgeline of Privet and Japanese Spindle as they are alerted by my presence.
In the bottom of the woodland, the stream is in full flow, pouring and pooling as it meanders through the trees. Nearby a group of 10-12 Long-tailed Tits gather in a small Yew tree. I had never noticed this tree here before, along with the impressive size of some of the Plane trees – the recent thinning of Sycamores showing them off in all their glory. Around the corner, the brand new shed and future volunteering base is sitting comfortably within it’s glade.
I head back up the hill. Looking back towards Castle, the warmly-lit waves diffract around the headland. It’s satisfying to watch them stretch and slow, perfectly matching the shape of the bay, to lap the shore as one. Greater Black-backed Gulls climb with the wind out of sight.
As I make my way down to Durlston Head, a scattering of Ash Tree seeds surround me, spinning like helicopters as they gently fall towards the ground. Two Gannets and a Fulmar battle with the winds out to sea, their large wings creating huge lift with each gust.