This morning’s walk headed for the reclaimed landfill site to check on the Herford Cattle. One laughing Green Woodpecker was somewhere near the small copse. Having seen orchid basal rosettes upon Lighthouse Green yesterday, I had no success during my search about hay rake quarr. A short-stemmed Ox Eye Daisy clung to seven white petals that were declining. It was a Wren’s machine gun rattle that rang out from near knee height.
At Eight Acres, seven Herring Gulls and a Magpie occupied the ground despite the cattle having moved on. Within Quarry Field (Warren’s Ground) there was much Great Tit chatter from the tall Gorse cover. Winter Heliotrope flowered with eyelash-like petals. I counted thirty cattle in quarry meadow. Bravely (or foolishly) I did my had into the cattle trough to remove glass like sheets of ice. I hoped my efforts might have delayed its refreezing.
From the reclaimed landfill summit, I could see north beach shore and the lower half of Ballard Down. Leeson Wood was seen the west. One Roe Deer bounded along the fence-line with Swanage Bay View Park. In Hingston Copse I admired the mature Sycamore just over the boundary, and one misshaped Pine that had bent over the wall to kiss the ground. Catkins dangled from Hazel as did a few Ash masts from their trees bearing dark buds.
From the sward of field 1 two long beaked waders, in the former of Snipe, emerged called and flew further inland. A jogger ran across eight acres and came to an abrupt halt at an electric fence. Luckily for him I checked it was switched of to allow him to cross, on this occasion only! A trio of Fieldfare perched on the scrub at the summit of a quarry mound. Approaching the weather station, I sent a Jay into flight. Nearby a silent Song Thrush perched in a Sycamore tree.