Yesterday, whilst moving cut timber, we released the garlic scent from Ramson leaves in the pleasure grounds. We paused and inspected a recent landslip on the undercliff. Bare clay soil and the stems of already dead trees lay below. The coast path remained unaffected, but we will monitor the erosion where it creeps near to a view point.
This morning a light frost laid in sheltered places. It was not cold enough to freeze a water trough surface, however, ice was in a dinosaur footprint at the weather station wall. One Jay perched in a bare Elm tree within the road traffic island. Much Great Tit activity took place beside the timeline, with scuttering Squirrels too. Two Daffodil buds, outside the castle, were showing yellow petals soon to open. Visiting the bottle refill of the takeaway kiosk was a Wren. Below the building a Cock Pheasant strolled beneath Holm Oak cover. The sun rose above cloud beamed out to the sea chart.
From the observation point a lone Fulmar was observed flying in arcs off the sea cliffs. The pair of Shag seen to be circling from cliffside to offshore. Forty Guillemot sat in a loose linear raft stretching out from the cliff. Another seventy to eighty would be seen in their cliff cave. It was hear that a pair of Raven flew past the cliff face heading west before retuning back for another investigation. A light froth floated up the sea near to shore. Between the Gorse needles the small web tents were possibly nurseries for spiders or spider mites. A happy jogger passed, and two early anglers were fishing from the gully mouth.
I ventured up the gully floor where a second Cock Pheasant was near under the overhead wires. The oval leaves of Privet growing between to rock exposure looked purple to me. Harder to spot we the miniature leaves of Wild Thyme also between rock. I observed the bird on the overhead wires to find it was a solo Jackdaw which departed to join others about the Lighthouse. The first Greenfinch was spotted near the road bridge. A trio were then seen amongst downland scrub near the Small Copse. Before I ascended the gully, I followed cattle tracks between scrub to rediscover the hidden two-foot diameter Apple Tree beside an unseen drystone wall. As I returned to the centre a pair of Carrion Crow flew up from the grassland.