What a beautiful fresh morning to be wondering around the Woodlands. As I approach the entrance to the woodlands Sparrows and Robins chitter, chatter from the hedges. The sun was streaming through the Hazel trees creating vertical sunlit lines across the Aviary glade.
Footsteps and crunching from beneath the ‘Castle View’ view-point got my attention, as I waited for a deer to appear, out came a Grey Squirrel running up the bank then making a dash for a nearby Sycamore. Balancing precariously high on top of small vertical Ash branches two Carrion Crows sat noisily making themselves known to the rest of the Woodland. From the Ivy-covered Sycamore trees the sounds of Blue tits echoed out.
I stopped at the ‘Listening Seat’ the warm sun on my face and surrounded by the morning sounds of the awakening woodland, then the crashing of a branch as a Wood Pigeon came to join me; Jackdaws flew above the Elm, Holm Oaks and Apple as a twinkling of birds chatter to each other from within them. Stinking Iris Berries are a welcome splash of bright orange. A beautiful Red Admiral flew across the path then settling on an Elm trunk to bathe in the warming sunlight, its black, white and Red colours vibrant.
A small group of Swallows flew around Durlston head, a little Wren popped out from within the Brambles as if to say hi as I walked past. A Firecrest was seen this morning but unfortunately not by me. Out at sea a single Guillemot was spotted flying in then bobbing on the water below the ledges, again not seen by me, mainly because I couldn’t see over the Tamarisk…
Amongst the long grass the sound of a Cricket, a Small White fluttered past and a Common Lizard bathed in the morning sun on a patch of open ground. 3 Rock Doves sat on the cliff edge, two with pink and green feathers around their necks that glistened in the sun the other a speckled black and grey colour.
As I walked up past the mile markers I stopped to admire the view over the gully, spotting a golden hind of a Roe Deer munching on the fresh dewy grass, a lovely end to my walk.