Overhead the activity of House Martins and Swallows was to be the dominating spectacle of the morning. Both about the centre and over the gully these hunting and eating birds dove, twisted, turned and swept low over hedge rows whilst snippets of chatter added to the calm soundscape. Easily in excess of one hundred of these passerines were seen. However, today they did not stop to rest!
The lack of sunlight suggested it was not the best conditions for any flying insects which might have support the aerial feeders. However, I was lucky to see an Angel Shades moth at rest upon Bristly Ox Tongue. Also at ground level was with its striped abdomen a Meadow Grasshopper. Two tiny Striped Snails were found inside a discarded Garden Snail shell. Upslope of the Mile Markers a Green Woodpecker silently took off from the ground.
Ahead of me were two Roe Deer one of which instantly disappeared into the tree cover under the canopy of an Ash. The remainder, a Doe, frozen a looked back at me with alert upright ears. This was to become a game of “follow me” which I suspected was because its hidden companion was a fawn. I made my slow progress from the gully rock face towards the road bridge. Sure, enough beyond the next island of scrub the Doe was waiting looking back. She disappeared out of sight only to turn back as if to tempt me to continue following her. My last view was of here looking over her shoulder before bouncing off! Beyond her I saw the second Green Woodpecker of the morning in flight.
Apples trees held golf ball sized both by the roadside and within the wares. Not far from the Small Copse I could smell the sweet Apple flesh presumably where windfalls had started to break down. Between the road bridge’s Pear tree a male Black Bird appeared with food in his beak. Perhaps it was one of the many Bryony berries which were seen either elsewhere as pale orange or deep red fruits dangling from vines showing dry shrivelled leaves.
Amongst the flowers still to be seen were Eyebright, Lady’s Bedstraw and Horseshoe Vetch. The many Fox leavings upon the dry gully cattle track indicated, like the Badgers, that Blackberries had been eaten!