A quite glorious sunrise welcomed me to the park, the Isle of Wight a bluey- purply-grey as the sky around it burst with oranges and pinks. This is a great time of year to enjoy sunrises as they aren’t too early in the morning!
Flashing ahead of me in the midst of the brown spikes of the Blackthorn were two white rumps, tell-tale signs of Bullfinches, the bright pink chests difficult to see until they stopped to perch and face towards me.
The yaffle of a Green Woodpecker, countered by the croak of a Raven and the cackling of the Jackdaw flocks provided a noisy backdrop to the field patrol.
Overhead a few Siskin were heard as were some Redpoll, otherwise fairly quiet on the migration front.
A sighting yesterday of a Marsh Warbler was a great surprise, particularly in December, this morning the only warblers spotted were Chiffchaff and Blackcap.
On the cliffs a Peregrine Falcon was perched, gazing into the distance, this bird accompanied by another, had previously had an unsuccessful chase of a Starling, whose jinking flight outwitted both of the Peregrines!
Bobbing on the water a group of 7 Guillemots, one in winter non-breeding plumage, with a white band of feathers around its head, the others varying from complete brown heads to heads flecked in white feathers.
On the ledge a further 150+ Guillemots to see, while a Shag stood upright on an outcrop and above that a Great Black Backed Gull.
Across the short turf a smattering of flowers still in bloom, including the purple head of Self-heal and the paler Black Knapweeds along with the tiny pink flowers of Wild Thyme.
Along the coast path 2 Stonechats hopping along the scrub, perching variously on the barbed wire fence, the spiky yellow flowered Gorse and on the trailing ropes of Wild Clematis.