The wonderful sound of a Skylark greeted me as I stepped out to begin the early patrol. A long search through the mostly grey sky eventually found the tiny dark shape high up, its flutter barely visible. The song however very powerful and so easily recognised and accompanied me on most of my walk as I checked about.
Off to the cliffs to see the Guillemots which are packed onto the ledges, hundreds of black and white bodies squashed together, a good number of these have now laid their single egg and are incubating. This will continue for the next four weeks until the chicks start to hatch, with both the male and female taking their turns on duty.
Speeding past, almost in a blur was a two tone grey back, swept back wings and masked face – a Peregrine Falcon – which then turned and flew back again as if offering me more opportunity to admire it. Overhead two Ravens flew over, squawking loudly at each other as they went.
A smattering of pink Thrift and Sea Campion on the cliff tops alongside small patches of Kidney Vetch, Horseshoe Vetch and Bird’s Foot Trefoil. All mixed into a variety of different greens from the leaves of grasses and other plants including Cleavers, Wild Madder, Parsley Piert, Hedge Bedstraw and Wild Carrot.
In a patch of Gorse, the yellow flowers on which were very vivid, perched a Stonechat. This male with a striking ‘wing’ collar and perfect black head and orange chest, he chatted loudly as I watched. From behind me came the scratchy song of a Common Whitethroat, not long returned from its wintering grounds in Africa, this brown warbler showed off its white throat as it sung.
A flash of red from the hedgerow alerted me to a Redstart, such a stunning bird, which I was able to admire as it flitted down the Dogwood, Bramble, Hawthorn and Horse Chestnuts
One of the black Victorian bollards was being used for nesting by a Great Tit which was busily flying in and out, while in the nest boxes Blue Tits have laid eggs and a parent was incubating them.
Guillemot video