Ebb rumbling pebbles
Flow the tempting sunlit crests
I should have worn shorts
A pair of Green Woodpeckers took me by surprise this morning. Their bright green plumage camouflaging them against the meadow turf. I must have got within ten metres before the first flew off, and drew my attention to the red cap of the second one, waiting for my next move.
In the woodland I could hear an unusual commotion screeching out from a nearby Holm Oak, it’s evergreen leaves concealing the culprits of the loud discussion inside. As I suspiciously approach the tree, all of a sudden four Jays erupted from the scene.
I made my way down over the landslip towards Durlston Bay. This area demonstrates a fascinating story of sucession, where saplings of Willow, Sycamore, and Holm Oak race in competition to take control of the newly exposed landscape.
But what might stand in their way? Two Roe Deer grazing on the fresh emergent shoots. A smaller doe and a larger buck, with his new antlers covered in a soft fluffy velvet. The velvet supplies blood and oxygen to the antlers as they form, enabling them to grow at an impressive 1cm a day! Once fully grown, the layer of velvet will die, leaving the ‘bone’ to solidify as a mature antler.
It was high tide down on the shore of the bay, meaning rock-pooling was out of the question. A quick beach-comb along the short length of beach revealed a few common seaweeds; Sea Lettuce, Coral Weed, Sugar Kelp and Bladder Wrack. All of which lining the strandline, likely dislodged following the recent high winds and rougher seas.
As I sit at my desk writing out this diary, I can see a Great Tit cheerily exploring a hole into one of George Burt’s London bollards. I agree – I think it would be make a perfect home to build a nest!