The grey start was a bit of a disappointment, with the morning seeming very dark, however the birds were singing to enliven the mood.
From the top of an Elder bush a Song Thrush perched, blurting out sequences of its song, not very melodic but still recognisable.
A Blackbird was perched nearby in the Blackthorn scrub, emitting an alarm call as I passed by, its bright yellow beak the only bright colour in my view.
The wispy grey white heads of the Old Man’s Beard rambles across and over the Brambles, with the lack of leaves on most of the plants at the moment this Wild Clematis is by far the most obvious plant, brown ropes twisting around covered with the fluffy heads.
In amongst this mat a large white powder puff appeared, as I checked again through the binoculars the rest of the Roe Deer could be made out, the dull brown pelage camouflaged really well.
Above me a Kestrel was hovering, the long tail closed then opening out into a fan as it held its position in the sky, having been unsuccessful over that area of rough grassland the Kestrel glided across the gully to perch on the phone wires to gaze below still searching for its breakfast.
Across the National Nature Reserve many berries are still available, including on the European Spindle a few bright pink, what appear like double berries stuck together. The Japanese Spindle also has berries but these are smaller and much paler pink. The Cherry Laurel shrub is splendid in bright red baubles while the Snowberry has round white globules.
A Bullfinch was squeaking as it landed on the branches of an Elm, while scrambling up the trunk of a Holm Oak was a Grey Squirrel, interrupting the courtship of a pair of Wood Pigeons as it went.
Above the Castle a Raven soared, emitting a loud croak as it went out across Durlston Bay, on the water in the Bay was a small flock of Herring Gulls and a single Shag.