Passing over South Field were a charm of twenty Goldfinch whilst Carrion Crows communicated between Large & Small Copses. The chattering Goldfinch calls resembled Morris Dancers jingling bells! At the field edge Honeysuckle fruit (within a Blackthorn climbing frame) had shrivelled, dried and deteriorated. I would nevertheless later see a Honeysuckle flower near the mile markers. In this area even Marjoram flowers persisted at the short sward margin as did the occasional Daisy and Field Scabious flower.
The cloud was at such a height that the view to St. Catherine’s Head was uninterrupted. The Island’s Lighthouse “winked” whilst our own was dormant. Both a Beetle and a Moth represented this morning’s observed active insects. The former had been black, very smooth, rounded and aerodynamic and suggested a possible Water Beetle having flown seeking fresh water. The latter I had limited chance to view but was a suspected Footman moth.
Off Tilly whim a solo Greater Black Backed Gull was upon the sea. Another pair were content upon the lowest ledge towards Durlston Head. One Shag left the cliff face and travelled in an anti-clockwise arc before heading east. A second Shag came by and performed a similar manoeuvre, although it could have been the same bird performing a circuit!
At the gully mouth where the lowest seaweed covered ledge was exposed but washed regularly by waves. On the head deposit scree Golden Samphire showed a few flowers whilst Rock Samphire heads had converted to seed pods. Slightly inland there were still occasion Thrift flowers within the plant heads. A female Stonechat was seen from the thorn whilst the male was only heard below the Lighthouse.
From the woodland cover of the gully suddenly emerged both Woodpigeon and Jackdaws. The culprit was a Sparrowhawk which was soon subjected to mobbing by the Jackdaws. Perhaps it was also the Sparrowhawk which had sent up the cliff side Rock Doves and Jackdaws earlier from the sea cliffs.
Travelling seawards a Jay progressed through the gully. Over the wares a half dozen Carrion Crows held a breakfast meeting. Upon passing an isolated Hawthorn bush a flushed Blackbird made its alarm call.