Puddles, Streams, Springs and Waterfalls were this morning’s highlights! The rain gauge cup overflowed so our rainfall was in excess of 28.4 mm. Before leaving home a pair of Blackbirds explored the hard surface about my car despite the rain, wind and low light levels. Later return to the Centre a pair would pass by in tandem flight. Reliably a Rock Pipit appeared to follow me from Tilly Whim steps to Anvil Point. From Lighthouse Green Herring Gulls were seen and heard fly above or resting upon the coastal downland slopes. Robins were seen popping in and out of scrub on the approach to Lighthouse Road Bridge. However, that would be it for wildlife sightings!
The Aviaries Winterbourne had water cascading into from the road surface as well. Near the Castle car park, the large puddle had return below the bus stop. The pipeline taking surface water to the cliff top had a leaf blockage. Through the woodlands the leaf and woodchip path surface looked as if it had been glazed, but this was running water. The wooded section of the diagonal path had a stream meandering through leaf blockades. Out in the open it was leaf free but a muddy colour. This temporary stream overwhelmed two drainage easements so to continued flow down the path. Near the Goat Plot the easement was more successful thus significantly reducing the flow beyond.
Large puddles stretched across the width of the coast path in several places including beside Tilly Whim steps. However, most of these were draining over the cliff face creating rarely seen waterfalls. However, two drains caught the wind such that the waterfalls were sent upwards and blown back in land at times! Whilst water cascaded downhill past the Dolphin Watchers Hut there was none of the deep erosion of the past, but surface material had been moved by the water and gravity!
At the gully mouth there was another waterfall into the sea, however, this was only that which had flown from the coast path. There was not gully winterbourne in flow at that time. I had seen two spring bubbling up beside the cliff top coast path. Upon Lighthouse Road bridge water raced so fast down the tarmac that it by passed many of the drainage holes within the bridge parapet. Large froth edged puddle formed. Not surprisingly the Hereford Cattle were upon the highest ground and were seen from beside the Small Copse. I had to push the field gate hard again the wind wishing to keep it closed!