Motionless the ocean lies beyond the clifftops brow
Barely a ripple seems to stir, the sea is quiet now
But as this static swell-less mass makes meeting with the land
A change becomes the tranquil deep, the shallows close at hand
It raises, rears, draws up in full, reveals its hidden force
And rolls in white and green and blue upon its final course
I took a meandering route through the Woodlands this morning, entering at the gate on Solent Road and wending my way through some offbeat paths in search of fungi. The abundance of October is waning, at least in this part of the park as I saw very little outside of our permanent residents Turkey Tail and Hairy Curtain Crust. Elsewhere in the park a few other species have been resisting the advance of winter, with Conical Brittlestem, Coral Fungus and Jelly Ear all to be seen.
Greeting me outside the Learning Centre were the bird ringers, with a bird in the hand often seen but most seldom caught. A Jay. It looks even goofier up close, but don’t say that to its face as I’m told it has a nasty bite. Also netted were Firecrests, Blackcap, Redwing, Fieldfare and a Grey Heron. Well done to the bird ringers.
My next stop was the Large Copse, the sounds of our Hereford Cattle moving through the underbrush audible before I saw the beasts. The sound is half gentle, half forceful and to me carries a vaguely menacing quality. Who knows what could be moving just inside the line of trees?
Further out on the Meadows I spied a Kestrel perched atop a bare Sycamore tree, unusual to see one in such a prominent position. Further up by the Heron Ground Chaffinch and Great Tit were seen and heard, also sitting in conveniently conspicuous positions. A Glistening Ink Cap sat frozen solid by the frost at my feet as I crossed down to the Downlands, passing through the Drove and stopping to examine a patch of flowering Ivy. A Goldcrest was hopping about within the shelter of its twists, while on top a Buff Tailed Bumble Bee supped at the late nectar.
Field Mushrooms and Field Blewits flourished on the Downs despite the light frost. I took in the panorama of the ocean as I approached the brow of the cliffs. The ocean appeared a flat calm at first but as I drew closer I saw that waves were rising closer in to shore.