The whole is more than just its parts, a greater thing emerges
So nature too transcends beyond its cliffs and woods and verges
A thousand links, invisible, twixt kingdom, class and orders
The natural world, e pluribus unum, the whole surpasses borders
I entered the park mid sunrise this morning, the base of the sun still kissing the horizon. High above a waning gibbous moon was still clearly visible while the dawn light gathered strength. Blackbird song rang crisp and clear, with the squeaky wheelbarrow tones of Great Tits and pips of Robins punctuating the gentle groans and sighs of the wind. Yesterday, as I was finishing my work in the Dell as night was falling I heard the kewiks and hoo-hoos of Tawny Owls. It seems there’s a bird for every time of day and night.
I first mounted another investigation of the Large Copse, hoping to spot a few winter fungi I’d encountered there before. Only our all round residents Turkey Tail and Hairy Stearum were to be seen, though abundant Winter Heliotrope was emerging as the seasonal representation of the kingdom of plants.
Further out on the Meadows I heard the soft calls of what sounded like Bullfinches, though a scan of the dense twisting mass of Blackthorn and Hawthorn proved inconclusive. A few Dandelions were bearing seed amid the short grass, and I spied a lone Mystery Fungi skulking beside a dry stone wall. Less mysterious were the abundant Cheilymenia fimicola pot marking the surface of our Hereford Cattle dung, the orange speckles almost resembling rust.
Reaching the crest of the Downs I turned to the Lighthouse, startling a Roe Deer as I mounted a stile. I watched it bound away into the shelter of the Gulley, the springing motion of its body energetic yet also casual. I’ve never seen a Deer that looked tired, they run like children skipping.
Traversing the Clifftops I was met with an abundance of birdlife, our regulars well on display. In addition to a crowded ledge of Guillemots the skies were hung with Herring and Greater Black Backed Gulls. Shags flew low over the water while Rock Pipits squeaked and dived over the grassy verges. Glancing over the edge I noticed an abundance of Sea Beet growing lush on the ledge below. Must be nice down there.