A winter wonderland of fog, frost & ice greeted me. The wildlife garden pond and at least one water trough we frozen over. A Green Woodpecker’s laughing call was heard. The whites of the zebra crossing were slippery. There was much Blackbird and Grey Squirrels activity upon the woodland floor. The drystone wall at the woodland end of the new Long Meadow looked to be complete. Amongst the bate ground between the saplings that hand be planted a male Blackbird hopped. A pair of Robins also appeared whilst a Carrion Crow called.
There was even frost upon the cliff tops. Today the view from Rest & Admire was only of the undercliff and a patch of sea below. A Dunnock explored the ground as I headed to the timeline. There Woodpigeons set up from the floor.
At Caravan Terrace the rock face had occasional drips of water. Only the younger downy leaves of ground level Buddleia held frost. Some ten Primrose flowers were finally found peeking out between the leaf fall. Mexican Daisy flowers bloomed near the castle entrance whilst Daffodil buds remained tightly closed.
From the woodland woodchip path, I spotted a snapped Bay Tree stem (8-inch diameter) safely away from the path. From the diagonal path there were improved sea views. More path side frost some being worn upon Bramble leaves.
A Shag, that had been on the water and the cliff foot, paddled out to join the linear raft of twenty-five Guillemot. A further seventy of the seabirds occupied the cave. Above the cave perched a pair of Greater Black Backed Gulls whilst only individual Jackdaws were seen occasionally active on the coast. The Tilly Whim interpretation panel surface was stippled with frozen water droplets like a brail document.
A flying and calling Raven landed and perched upon the lower mile marker. Drips of water from a trough had clocked Gorse needles which were frozen inside clear ice. Up in the sky a waning crescent moon was seen. As I reached the walling centre the sun beamed through the cloud. Wrap up warm today as the temperature was -1.5 at 9am!