I don’t care for a squall at all, not a little teensy bit
Even if the squall is small, I’ll give it a miss, not a hit
If after all the squall must fall I’ll take it in my stride
I prefer the squall behind a wall, I’d rather be inside
I dodged a rain shower on the way up to Durlston this morning, seeking shelter within what tree cover I could find. The boggy ground hosted a few Blistered Cup Fungi, as well as the odd Dogs Vomit and Cauliflower Slime Mould. Breaking out into the open territory of the Car Park I spotted a Grey Squirrel bounding along the open grass, far from any Oaks. A few Blackbirds and Wrens were also on the scene, singing and chirping happily.
I took an easy stroll down to Caravan Terrace to follow up on a bird watching tip I received on Sunday. Lo and behold, there were Bullfinches in spades. Rather than move on immediately I lingered a while and was rewarded with sightings of several Blue Tits and a shy Goldcrest.
Down towards the Globe a Shag bobbed on the rough seas below, hearty waves rolling in to Durlston Bay. I believe the term my brother would use to describe this surf is “pumping”, but I’m not entirely sure I know what it means.
A zigzagging trek to the Diagonal Path led me past our poor long-suffering drains in the woods. They had fought admirably, but more improvements are still necessary. A few Dunnocks were to be seen on the way though the Tilly Whim Caves were devoid of reptile life. A little light rain had begun to fall as the wind rose, and a glance out to the ledge showed it to be still empty. Do the Guillemots know something we don’t?
Heading down to the bottom of the Gulley I was treated to the full force of the passing squall, wind and rain whipping against the exposed flesh of my hands and face. I hugged the hillside and continued, the birds of the Gulley oddly quiet for some unknown reason.
A final outing up to the Downs yielded a few Dung Roundheads as well as some Cheilymenia fimicola. Song Thrushes were performing again at the top of the Gulley and my return march was sounded with Goldfinches and Chaffinches as the wind and rain eased off again.