This morning it was a Jay that I set off from the roadside as I journeyed in.
Out on a clam sea a sailing sloop motored west whilst a Shag skimmed the water in the opposite direction. What I thought were distant Fog Horn were confirmed as ships horns when I reached the castle. Beside the centre the dew-covered grass twinkled in the sunlight. Footprints through the dew indicated earlier explorers than I.
Beside the wildlife pond Garden Warbler called out. A dark underwing butterfly, which I suspected was a Peacock or Red Admiral fluttered over the scrub. Curiously, a Garden Snail was also seen above the scrub upon a tendril of leafless Bramble with dried fruits. Whilst Robins “bounced” between scrub and grassland I thought I could hear a Skylark below near Lighthouse Green. During my descent I saw that the bridge Pear tree’s buds were slightly in advance of a roadside Apple. At the green I did discover a pair of Skylarks in the rougher sward near to the coast path. I was rewarded by an aerial vocal display.
I ascended the coastal ridge in search of an Early Spider Orchid flower I had been told of. It was beside the wildlife trail and at possible risk of being trampled. Only one of three of its flowers were open, strangely it was the one facing inland! The stem stood nearly two inches tall. Many more Dandelions were seen in flower!
Across the upper gully a pair of competing Dunnock exchanged songs. Chiff Chaff and Chaffinches were seen and heard whilst the scratchy call of a Whitethroat was only heard. From the gully scrub cover, which daily increased its blossom cover, a Song Thrush rang out its piercing melody.
A Fox’s fur filled leaving was upon a well-used path through the wares, not upon Ant hill to aid scent marking. The metallic green of a Common Green Bottle Fly contrasted with the expose soil in basked upon.
I saw only one Long Tailed Tit on top of a scrub island near Small Copse whilst an unseen Green Woodpecker waffled out of vision. In the sun beside the time line Bee fly hovered a little like a Humming bird with its long proboscis.