The sound of birdsong the feature of the day in an otherwise silent morning, a variety of calls, partial songs and alarm buzzes accompanied my patrol around the meadows.
A Dunnock was skulking near the bottom of the Blackthorn scrub, moving effortlessly between the long thin spikes, once perched it started a weak song, just a few notes before stopping.
A little higher in this patch of scrub was a Wren, the pale eye stripe an erect tail making it easy to identify as it perched on the end of the thorn, a blast of song being emitted.
Perched on the top amongst the rambling ropes of the Wild Clematis was a Chaffinch, the white wing flashes catching the light, the rosy pink body and steel blue marking distinguished as I moved around the bush so the light was directly behind it. This bird then started to sing, the ‘slow-slow-quick’ melody reminds me of a cricket fast bowler coming into bowl!
From across the National Nature Reserve the sound of Blackbirds to be heard, both their typical alarm and a beginning of their song. Their near relative the Song Thrush also in evidence, a good chance to watch as one perched on the top of nearby Hawthorn.
Despite all this my highlight was the sight of 4 Skylarks, which rose from amongst the long grass of the Eight Acres Meadow, as one of these birds made its way higher into the sky it began to sing – such a gorgeous snatch of sound, reminding me that spring is definitely near!
Moving amongst the Brambles and Willow a flock of Long-tailed Tits, a “lollipop in flight” as I was informed once. Returning to the centre, the yaffle of a Green Woodpecker and the coo of Wood Pigeons mixed with the cawing of Carrion Crows and cackle of Jackdaws.
At sea, the grey sea and grey sky was split apart by a superb band of bright pink, while through the single hole in cloud a shaft of silver sunlight spotlit a circle on the sea – fantastic.