The sound of Bullfinches was squeaking through the air as I started my wander around the National Nature Reserve this morning. These superb birds then spotted as they landed in the top of a Wayfaring Tree before moving into an old gnarled Hawthorn where the low sunlight highlighted the bright pink chest of the male.
The flick of a white wing flash brought a small group of Chaffinches to my attention, again much easier to admire once they had landed in the bare branches of a spindly Ash tree.
A little later dashing along the top of one of our lower hedges was a Sparrowhawk, perhaps looking for breakfast as it travelled.
Wonderful views back past the lighthouse, with the bands of orange, pink, white and blue constantly changing as the sun moved higher above the horizon.
On the water below the cliffs a group of 8 Guillemots – 5of which were in their ‘breeding’ plumage and the other 3 still in the winter non-breeding garb.
The ledge above was also covered in these Auks, the occasional growl wafting up on the still air, and this could be heard all along the cliff and up the diagonal path.
A big splash of yellow on the limestone banks as the Gorse is blooming again – it rarely stops, nearby a round umbel of a small pinky-white flower of the Wild Carrot and a sprig of Yarrow.
The chattering of a Great Tit from the tangled mass of Old Man’s Beard, the yellow belly striped with a black waistcoat popping up from the wispy grey-white tufts.
High above the car park area a Raven croaked, the black shape drifting, very different from the Peregrine Falcon which was also hanging in the sky.
Always something to see on your walk at Durlston!