Despite high cloud great views revealed St. Catherine’s Lighthouse. Goldfinches and possibly Chiff Chaffs were caught in one of the Bird Ringing nets. Perched on the upper mile marker post a Carrion Crow exchanged calls with another down in the gully. A quartet of said Crows emerged from about the Small Copse. One Crow land upon the mile marker sent the other off to flight. However, shortly they both flew together with a vocal exchange. A Song Thrush was spotted above the gully where Honeysuckle still had flowers! Stems of Agrimony gave a little yellow beside the Lighthouse Road whilst the white tail flash of a Rabbit moved between Gorse bushes. It was a male Stonechat that perched upon a Bramble tentacle that poked up through scrub. At the base on a weak looking Hawthorn, Bramble was joined with Woodsage leaves and dried seed heads.
In the gully the tallest stems of Ash, Willow and Sycamore had lost their leaves. In a few months only the Yew and few Holly would hold leaves. Half a dozen Parasol Mushrooms showed their cap gills and wore a “belts” about their stems. Beside the bridge a bare Blackthorn held only a bunch of Bryony fruits. The Apple Tree wore Ivy, Clematis and Branching Lichen of course. Ash leaf tips appeared burnt with some having curled in on themselves. Elsewhere I saw a bare Sycamore with buds primed for next year’s leaves. A Bulbous Buttercup presented one yellow flower and five spiked marine mine (explosive) like heads.
A duo of Raven flew first east then west along the coastal slopes. As usual the flocks of Lighthouse and Downland Jackdaws reacted a little. One Gannet flew west staying close to the sea’s surface. Swallows and House Martins sought insect over the coastal ridge. Upon the flowerless spikes of a ground hugging gorse clump a Buff Tailed Bumble Bee was safe from the aerial hunters. One Dor Beetle was noted, and a Kestrel appeared over the gully. A deceased Fox Moth Caterpillar lay upon the fossil wall. Outside the Centre some flowers were shown upon Dogwood and Mexican Daisy. It was a Jay that flew into and vanished amongst the Small Copse. Both shed leaves and Holm Oak acorns littered the timeline.