An early start for me this morning, and a cold, finger tingling one at that.
November is starting to feel like November, the air is crisp, the mornings are dark and it feel like it is always trying to rain. But that hasn’t stopped the wildlife. The usual suspects were out in force this morning; Blue Tits, Great Tits, Robins, Wrens, Blackbirds, Wood Pigeon, Gold Finches and House sparrows, all happily going about their business.
Goldcrest sightings have become easier. They appear not to have realised that the foliage that was once concealing them has now gone and seem to happily titter around the bare tree branches and thicket. This does not however, make them any easier to photograph.
The Ravens were particularly vocal this morning. A pair kindly perched on top the mile markers, ‘kawing’ and ‘cronking’ to one another allowing me to get a couple of photos before taking to the wing and darting off somewhere down the coast.
Down by the lighthouse, the odd mushroom raised its cap amongst the long grass including a Yellow Fieldcap and two Mower’s Mushrooms.
Along the coast path, ‘bands’ of Rock Dove shot across the sky, creating a stunning blur of reds, browns, whites and blues, followed by a sleepy Peregrine, which lazily flapped it’s wings, heading in a vaguely similar direction.
Other than the evergreen Holm Oak, the trees at Durlston are looking particularly bare. Lots of browns, yellows and oranges. The odd Sycamore tree is trying to cling onto a couple of its amber and gold autumnal leaves.
Back at the Learning centre, grey Stubble Rosegill mushrooms, yellowish Mulch Fieldcaps and brick red Chip Cherries have emerged from the woodchip creating a fantastic colour pallet of muted tones.