This morning Mick was in undertaking the first Bird Ringing session at Durlston this year. He had heard two Tawny Owls and seen both a Song Thrush and Blackbird and suggested the birds were still waking up. As we chatted the waffle of a Green Woodpecker was heard. I peered into the wildlife pond and counted nine Smooth Newts each about 3 centimetres long.
It was from the scrub below the walling centre where I heard the Song Thrush broadcasting. A pair of Carrion Crows called as the passed over the Goat Plot. Fortunately, the two water troughs were full and working and the Hereford cattle were inland. This made sense as the was a chill breeze on the cliff top.
I managed to just get a view of the Guillemot colony which I estimated to be some seventy in the cave ledge. Five were having to perch upon the sloping rock boulder surface. Later from the diagonal path I birds flying into the cliff ledge. I also saw two preening upon the water such that as the rolled they flashed the white bellies contrasting with their dark, brown, uppers. At the gully mouth the Rock Doves clung the rock face above the wave cut platform.
From the gully steps I heard a regular tick which clearly suggested a fault on the electric fence line. Sure, enough a damaged insulator was causing the line to earth out via a metal fencepost. A recorded this as a job for two people this morning. Back off shore a Shag flew east, later another seen to arc out from the sea cliffs to head west. The odd Great Black Gull and Herring Gull performed their obligatory cliff top fly past. Today the Jackdaws were low in numbers with only a handful obvious about the Lighthouse.
The only flowers I notice and welcome this morning was off course the golden yellow of Gorse alongside the diagonal path. Ahead of me two Bullfinches flew over the path to head inland. The meandering patterns seen on a Bramble leaf indicated to work of a leaf mining insect grub. Beneath the Holm Oak dominated Woodland was a carpet of dominated by Ivy, Stinking Iris and Harts Tongue Fern leaves. The hand sized dried leaves of Sycamore perched on some of the above. Back near the centre Blue Tits were seen in the Buddleia in the wildlife garden. A Sparrow popped out of the dense Blackthorn near the centre.