An autumnal feel to the early rounds this morning, with veils of mist starting to roll back as I headed up the hill, revealing patches of bright blue sky and trails of high cloud.
Around the Park, Willow Warblers call from the bushes and scrub, with the jangling calls of Goldfinches, ticking of Stonechats, sharp ‘tuts’ of Wrens and chuckling of Green Woodpeckers also heard.
As the sky clears, Swallows and House Martins start to feed in dizzying spirals above the sheltered back meadows, as a Buzzard glides along high above them.
A noisy extended family of Long-tailed Tits bustle and fuss among the tangled Old Man’s Beard along the Drove. Blue Tits, Great Tits and Blackcaps are also busy feeding among the dark crimson berries of a Hawthorn, the vibrant red hips of Dog Rose, and strands of glossy red, orange and green Bryony berries, like strings of beads.
A Kestrel hangs in the air above the Lighthouse Field – so still it is almost as if she is painted on, using the very tips of her wings to balance on currents of air.
The cliffs are quiet this morning, with Shag, Great Black-backed Gull and Oystercatcher passing the cliffs, with a few Gannets way out in the distance. A gang of Jackdaws squabble their way along the clifftop from Tilly Whim, with a Peregrine perched, statuesque, below the Observation Point.
The downland still has plenty of flowers to enjoy, with a patch of late-flowering Wild Clary at the top of the Gully catching my eye among the muted bronze of the grasses. Also in bloom, a few patches of yellow Lady’s Bedstraw, plenty of Wild Carrot and Wild Parsnip and purple Great Knapweed.
On the shorter turf, tiny white Eyebright is in bloom, along with Wild Thyme, and our last orchid of the year – tiny white Autumn Lady’s Tresses.
Our meadows have now mostly been cut and baled. This is vital to maintain their variety and stop coarse grasses, Bramble and scrub from taking over, however you’ll see that we leave sections of many meadows uncut (and leave a few entire fields uncut) to ensure some continuity of habitat.