I could not resist visiting the wildlife pond which, although ice free, had no activity within. Thus, the Smooth Newts remained in their land-based hibernaculum. An unseen Green Woodpecker called out from somewhere between the two copses. My first Jay flew up from the ground near the weather station then another two were both seen and heard amongst the Sycamores in Small copse. Just before the copse I saw, for a second day, a trio of Long Tailed Tits in the adjacent Blackthorn island. However, patience revealed that were at least five birds in this family group.
Ironically whilst there were several dogs racing about the wares it was myself, whilst cautiously descending a quarry hollow, that flushed a Hen Pheasant from cover. Below the quarr I saw a Kestrel take up its perch upon the upper end of the Lighthouse overhead telephone line. The predator observed a duo of Woodpigeon fly up the gully. Indeed, a good forty of these birds were spread about and perched in the woody cover.
I caught sight of a chase as pair of birds swirled between the branches of a Sycamore beside Lighthouse Road Bridge. Said chase must have been playful as the agile birds settled together in the trees branches. They were a pair of Sparrowhawks, only one of which I was to encounter again as we progressed along the coastal slopes. Not surprisingly Jackdaws occupied the Lighthouse complex whilst a pair of Carrion Crows the Green. A blue hulled pot fishing vessel worked on a calm see just west of Anvil point. As there were no following of Herring gulls I assumed pots were being dropped! However, at least one Great Black Back Gull flew west skimming close over the water.
Standing above the upper gully I could hear five Blackbirds and three trilling Wrens nearby whilst Great Tits nosily flitted about. A close-up Wren encounter occurred as it emerged trilling from low lying Bramble beside a “hearting” limestone pile which had Wild Cabbage still holding yellow flowers beside it! Most of the morning had the white-hot sun was mostly obscured behind cloud. However, it managed to break through sending a golden carpet of light across the sea towards the gully mouth before I returned to the office!