Sofie reported hearing a Tawny Owl from the comfort of her bed in the volunteer accommodation. Yesterday it took some time to establish that the increasing strong but pleasant scent in The Shed was coming from sprigs of Sage which were drying upon the wood burning stove.
A pair of Magpies were flushed on the approach road on my way in. High on the sky a golden sun illuminated a chilly morning. Its rays stretched across the sea and reflected in puddles upon the Globe’s steps. Where scrub clearance had be done above the globe the basal rosettes held velvet leaves of Great Mullein. More unseen Magpies cackled about the castle. Vapour trails decorated the blue sky between light cloud.
One of many morning Robins appeared tutting from the coast path wall capstones. Near the empty “Guillemot” cave ledge was perched a Great Black Gull half way up the cliff face. Above it was perched a Peregrine Flacon with its back to the sea, preening and looking west. Meanwhile, Jackdaws perched in Tamarisk, Holm Oak and on the cliff face itself around the Observation Point. Herring Gulls chose the pass alongside the sea cliffs above coast path height.
In the sun the lowest Mile Marker post cast a long shadow that stretched inland. Upon the gully slope a male Stonechat flew from gorse, perched on the overhead lines and later was hawking for flying insects over the grassland. Later I encountered head height Gnats in the shade near the small copse. Back on the coastal slopes there were many Robins playing verbal “Ping Pong” with each other. A Wren, Dunnock and Great Tit also put in fleeting appearances whilst several Black Birds were active a calling their alarms. It was a pair of Meadow Pipits that flew over south field.
Today’s flowers were Gorse (of course) with Wild Madder showings its fruits. Elsewhere, I counted eight Ox Eye Daisy flowers.