A blustery autumn morning after a wild and windy night.
The wind roars through the branches of trees and scrub and sends ‘blizzards’ of Sycamore and Holm Oak leaves whirling and dancing along paths, while below, Durlston Bay is criss-crossed with a white net of foam.
A stroll round the newly re-suraced ‘Round the Head’ path – mud free and less slippery thanks to the work of landscape contractors ID Verde. Their work is continuing at Tilly Whim, but all of the clifftop paths are open this weekend and it’s a great day to be by the sea!
To the south, steady, steel-grey rollers break against the cliffs, with passing Gannets gleaming brilliant white against the sea and sky. A few Guillemots pass by on tiny, flickering wings, with a distant Great Skua spotted in the far distance by Hamish. Manx Shearwater, Brent Geese and Scoter out in the distance seen by Warren, passing by just below the Castle. Shags, Cormorant and Herring and Great-blacked Gull also on the wing.
Near Caravan Terrace, a Yellow-browed Warbler seen, darting across the path, with a Bullfinch perched among the trees above Caravan Terrace – his crimson feathers very eye-catching on a grey day. Long-tailed Tits, Blackcaps and Blue and Great Tits are also out foraging for breakfast. On the short turf below, the brilliant yellow of Common Toadflax catches my eye.
More sheltered in the woodland, with a Sparrowhawk seen hurtling along in the lea of the Long Meadow hedge, with the call of a Tawny Owl echoing out from the gloomy depths of the woods.
The bright white berries of Snowberry look fantastic among the bare branches around them, while on the woodland floor, the leaves of Hartstongue Fern and bright orange seeds of Stinking Iris can be seen.
Old Man’s Beard has created a wonderful landscape near the Lighthouse Road bridge, with it’s silvery flowers and tangled stems scrambling over Hawthorn and Blackthorn to form weird bumps and hollows.
In the Copse, Badgers have been digging in the woodchips, leaving behind their characteristic triangular snout marks, with a Roe Deer seen at the bottom of the Saxon Field before bounding, loose-limbed into a patch of orange Bracken and Blackthorn.