What a beautiful morning. As I entered the woods the air was filled with a wonderful chorus from a Song Thrush, it’s distinctive loud song which is repeated musical phrases. I stood and waited, following the sound until I saw it’s dark spotted cream underparts within the Rhododendron. At the end of my walk another one sang out from the dense trees at the top of Lighthouse Field but this one I was unable to spot.
A Blackbird was rustling around in the leaf litter, a Wren was sat tunefully singing its piercingly loud tune and a Robin was further along the path, it’s bright red breast clearly on show. This magical tuneful morning got even better when I saw a Goldcrest flying between the Sycamore and Beach trees, soon to realise there were 4, at this point I’d barely walked through the entrance gate, just wonderful.
Along the coast path a flock of Pigeons hurtled past above the tree canopy, a Magpie cried out from the top of a Corsican Pine and another Robin sang from the low Horse Chestnut. I picked a Bay leaf taking in the warming smell that reminds me of a family Sunday roast, something I think we all miss at the moment.
The number of Grey Squirrels this morning was amazing it felt like they were everywhere I turned, climbing up, down, over and under. Some running around in spirals up the trunks of Holm Oaks, others clambering through the tree canopy or skirting across the path between the dry-stone walls.
Looking out to sea a Cormorant skimmed along the top of the water across Durlston Bay, while further out Gannets were flying West and a couple of Herring Gulls glide around Durlston Head making their way towards Swanage. Walking between the red stemmed Tamarisk and Lichen covered Blackthorn the air was quiet, whereas the rest of the coast path the sound of a tightly packed Guillemot ledge filled the air along with the Jackdaws which sat atop the Tamarisk.
I lifted a log to see what lay underneath, to find a hive of activity from Common Woodlouse Oniscus asellus, Porcellio scaber and hiding under a leaf a Burrowing Centipede Haplophilus subterraneus. The Hereford cattle all looking happy in Lighthouse Field, this will be their home for the next few weeks. Also seen on my walk, Blue tits, Great Tits, Goldfinches, Sparrows, Dunnock, Linnets, Rock Pipits and Chaffinch.