I thought I may have gotten too close to a Peregrine Falcon! It was just seaward of the coast path beneath the Lighthouse. It was the rather bedraggled looking juvenile I believed to have been harassed by a Kestrel once before. It still had no yellow about its beak and eyes. I crept closer to it to capture a photograph as it sat on the ground. With poor wing flaps and tumbling stumbling movement the bird disappeared down the cliff face. I was reassured finding some white plucked feathers nearby. Earlier a solitary white weather rose up from the gully mouth on the wind. There had been other Peregrine activity with a fly past loop observed between the observation point and Till Whim Ledge.
Our Guillemot cave ledge was vacant yet at least one bird was seen flying out to sea. Back at the cliff face the familiar Great Black Backed Gull was perched above with a Shag below the cave. Another Shag dove for fish from the sea surface.My morning had begun with plenty of Blackbird activity beside the wooded Lighthouse Road. While Black Bryony dangled grapelike bunches of fruits the Sloes had developed to marrow fat pea size!
Eyebright, Rest Harrow, Wild Thyme, Greater Knapweed, Field Scabious and both White and Yellow Bedstraws added colour to the gully slopes. Perched upon the fallen rock carved with “Look around and…” appeared to be a young Rock Pipit calling most powerfully. A Banded Snail was immersed amongst wall side Gorse needles. At the gully mouth in one square metre I counted ten Garden Snails! Below the Lighthouse thousands of discard snail shells were between the numerous blooms and succulent leaves of Rock Samphire. Both Golden Samphire and a few beginnings of Sea Lavender bloomed at the gully mouth. One Sea Aster clump grew out, and flowered, from retaining wall beside Till Whim steps.
A Stonechat called near the gully mouth. Near the road bridge a Magpie flew quietly into the Pear tree whilst the noisy wing beats of a Woodpigeon were heard as it took off from the ground. From here a Skylark could be heard up above. Recently, off site, I saw a young Gannet some 1.5 miles up a river. However, seeing a Buzzard, at Steeple, with a snake in its talons was a real treat!