Whitethroat and Blackcap are two famous crooks
With signature clothing to cover their looks
Blackcap is a brown hat to cover his eyes
And Whitethroat’s bandanna makes a fine disguise
Together they raid all banks of the hedge
They’re the parks greatest thieves, or so they allege.
I took the less trodden path up through the Woodlands again today, hoping to discover fresh fungi specimens. Sadly I didn’t find anything new, but a few familiar faces were still present. Pale Milkcaps, Lacquered Brackets and Blushing Rosette were all to be seen, though perhaps looking a little long in the tooth. Though I didn’t give a shiver, the morning was decidedly cold after the clear skies last night. The first cold day of September.
Beside the Learning Centre the birds were gathering. Garden Warblers alighted on Willow while Hirundines whisked overhead in search of insects. I also spotted a Blackcap and Whitethroat sitting side by side on a Hawthorn which got the old gears turning in my brain.
The Saxon Field was a beautiful sight with neat rows of hay running down its length. The sight and smell got me thinking of the old field divisions. The Saxons broke land up into “Hides”, their basic unit being enough land to sustain a single family over a year. Depending on the quality of the growing conditions, they could vary in size quite a lot. As I passed through I noted a single Ox Eye Daisy growing beside the path that had escaped the mow.
Walking above the Gulley I noted yet more active birdlife. Great Tits and Chiffchaffs could be heard and I also managed to spot a few Chaffinches and a Bullfinch. Smaller winged sightings included a Red Admiral that flew right past my face, and aimlessly spiralling Gatekeeper and an Adonis Blue that rose from the long grass at my feet.
At the foot of the Gulley I made a long scan of the scrub, noting Robin, Dunnock and something yellow that I didn’t get a good look at. All of a sudden I found a trio of Roe Deer squarely in my sights, almost concealed among the vegetation. I’d completely failed to notice them with the naked eye.
A few Rock Pipits were active near the cliffs but the seas themselves were almost bare. A single Shag sat on a rock with its back to the Ocean, apparently not interested in taking to the water. I don’t blame it.