A wild and windy morning, so a stroll through the sheltered woodland of the ‘Pleasure Grounds’ to start the day.
Brilliant to see this winter’s woodland management work progressing, with the thinning around Sunnydale looking great – we will see the benefit in the spring as wild-flowers like Dog Violet, Ramsons and Primroses benefitting from the extra light. Fresh leaves of Cow Parsley are already starting to appear, while around the Aviary Glade, Hazel catkins dance in the gusty breeze.
Local woodsman Toby Hoad (accompanied by Heavy Horses Fleur and Seline) have been busy shifting some of the cleared timber to be re-used around the site. They will be here till Friday, so do pop up if you want to see them at work – horses are not only a noise free way to move heavy timber, but also reduces the impact on the woodland floor.
Around the Aviary Glade, Long-tailed Tits bustle through the canopy, with a Tree-creeper spiralling up the trunk of a Sycamore.
A pair of Grey Squirrels conduct a running battle through the branches of a Holm Oak, so intent on their scrap that they hardly seem to notice as they fall through several layers of twigs.
A lovely flash of blue wing feathers as a Jay darts across in front of me, enlivening the gloom.
The manic ‘cackle’ of a Green Woodpecker echoes out from Long Meadow, with the ‘mewing’ of a Buzzard heard above the wind, as it circles above Durlston Bay.
‘Round the Head’, Guillemots straggle across the water and are crammed ‘shoulder to shoulder’ on the ledges, with more flickering in and out to sea, along with Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Shags. Out in the distance, the distinctive shape and flight of a Red-throated Diver, with a pair of Gannets, brilliant white against the grey sea also passing by.
A Peregrine perches near the Observation Point, with Dunnock, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Wren seen along the Diagonal Path.