A thick fog descended onto Durlston today, with visibility at only 30m, this made for very little in the way of views of sightings but allowed some sounds to come to the fore.
From the dull brown Blackthorn scrub came the call of a Robin as it chatted to make sure others new of its presence, the red breast almost indistinguishable in this light from the brown body.
The cackle of a Blackbird as it took flight from the red berried Cotoneaster bush made me turn to see this thrush disappear amidst the trailing talons of Old Man’s Beard.
A sudden flash of yellow brightened the gloom, and a Goldfinch perched on the twigs of the Hawthorn where the dull red berries are still numerous.
Lower in the hedgerow the bright orange berries of the Stinking Iris add a dash of colour, while the European Spindle is providing a display of pink balls higher up.
A few piles of Badger dung, showing that they are still eating Blackberries and Sloes, the pips and stones obvious in the latrines.
The damp weather has allowed the hoof prints of the Roe Deer to be easy detected, a trail of double slots in the mud.
The clapping of wings, a sudden whoosh through the air and a flock of Wood Pigeon speeded past, such noisy birds and so different from the silent and gentle wafts of a Jay.
Down by the cliffs, through the mist and merk, I could just make out the Guillemots perched on their ledge, in these conditions just vague shapes blending in with the cliff, but in the eerie silence their growling and gargling could be heard as they discussed territories (and probably the weather!)
A Great Tit landed alongside a Blue Tit on the wall and the House Sparrows were flitting around just outside the office window.