On the approach road the distinctive shape and colour of a Green Woodpecker came into view, something I had not seen for a while. Beside the centre tall Hemp Agrimony stems were beginning to open flowers whilst a Blackbird sang. A Pond Skater moved over the surface tension of the pond avoiding the ripples created by the breeze. Underwater small tadpole like forms moved, but these were Smooth Newt larvae. Under the surface were Freshwater Snails, one mounted upon the shell of another! On the pond edge a discarded shell was translucent and so thin it disintegrated between my fingertips. The unmown bird ringer rides showed Oxeye Daisy and Pyramidal Orchid in the wildlife garden. Bittersweet and Elder both showed fruits. Fleetingly a Sparrowhawk flew low over the garden perhaps it had been responsible for the few plucked feathers found in South Field.
Beneath wildlife garden reptile sheets were mostly Meadow Ant and their larvae as well as Woodlice. One sheet had a collection of small eggs and a separate collection of large cells of developing Ant larvae. Despite the breeze a few butterflies were to be seen, although in some places they were caught by the wind. Some sixteen Marbled White, eight Gatekeepers, seven Meadow Brown, one Ringlet and a pair of unidentified Skippers were seen. One of the latter sought nectar upon a Field Scabious flower. Micromoths were also sent up from the damp sward whilst Meadow Grasshoppers were heard striating. A small unidentified Bee’s legs sacks filled with pollen when visiting a Bristly Ox Tongue flower. A few Field Scabious blooms were out. Upon the stem of a Crow Garlic and large bulge protruded below its seed Six Spot Burnet Moth cacoon.
In the distance two adults and a juvenile Gannet flew west whilst another passed in the opposite direction. Perhaps some were circling off Anvil Point. A Peregrine Falcon was seen to turn full circle over Lighthouse Green before vanishing seaward. A Swift silently flew high above the Upper Gully . An unseen Pheasant’s cock crow was heard along with Carrion Crow calls. I suspected there were a family of four about the upper gully. The two juveniles stuck close together mainly on the ground although eventually perching in a mostly bare Hawthorn. An adult soon saw off a trio of Jackdaws that were on the opposite side of the gully. Otherwise the gully was the domain of Woodpigeons!