A glorious morning to enjoy a patrol across the Park, the first sound was that of a Green Woodpecker chuckling as it took flight across the meadow, the green and yellow colour catching by the light.
Across the site the number of Blackbirds has increased many of these will be visiting for a long winter break from elsewhere in Europe, alongside them are Song Thrushes and a couple of Redwings also spotted.
The blasting trill of a Wren alerted me to the small almost round bird perched in the Ivy on a dry-stone wall, the pale eye stripe obvious as it called. Taking off from nearby was a Dunnock, this grey-headed bird initially skulking at the bottom of the scrub.
Trotting across the meadow was a Roe Deer, who stopped and turned and watched me as it continued on, the sound of Carrion Crows ringing out around.
From the gully came the squeaky call of a Bullfinch, this sound echoed from both sides as 6 of these gorgeous birds were perched in the tops of the Blackthorn and Sycamore, the brilliant pink chests of the males contrasting with their jet black caps and faces.
The song of a Great Tit also filling the air, as it called ‘teacher-teacher-teacher’, while in a Hawthorn two Blue Tits, sat all fluffed up.
As I walked along the downland ridge facing east, a Raven glided by and was silhouetted by the orange ball of the sun, the heavy set of the bill and neck very obvious.
In the distance a strange shape loomed from the top of a windswept Blackthorn bush, on inspection with the binoculars it was a Pheasant, no wonder I didn’t recognise it immediately, it is not the usual place to see one of these game birds.
A few flowers to be found in bloom, the Winter Heliotrope providing a faint almondy tinge to the air, while a couple of flowers of Greater Periwinkle which have a pale lilac colour.