A beautiful winter morning. After a sunrise which streaked the sky with pink, blue and gold, a morning of blue skies and sunshine, feeling much warmer than the last few days. A gentle breeze wanders across the Park, carrying with it a growing chorus of bird calls and song.
The explosive cackle of a Green Woodpecker rings out across Long Meadow, with the ‘cronk’ of a Raven above the woodland and the croaks of a Jay, bursting out from the trees with a flash of bright blue wing feathers.
Near the Aviary Glade, a Treecreeper scuttles up the smooth trunk of a Sycamore, while near the ‘Rest and Admire’ viewpoint, a Fox pauses to stare at me, before strolling casually across the path and into the dense scrub below the path.
In the high canopy of an Ash above the Dell, a cloud of crimson and gold Goldfinches twitter and flutter, their yellow feathers almost sparkling in the bright morning sun. On a lower branch, a Woodpigeon watches them, his feathers fluffed up against the chill, with a Grey Squirrel nibbling an acorn lower down again. Just ‘next door’ 4 Goldcrests skitter among the branches of a Holm Oak, while on the open ground below, Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks, a Blackbird and a Magpie are all feeding.
Just over the bridge, a Bullfinch seen, in his usual spot, keeping watch over Caravan Terrace, with the song of Chaffinches and wheezing ‘teacher-teacher’ song of Great Tits also heard above the gently lapping waves in Durlston Bay below.
A male Kestrel carefully scans the slopes down to Durlston Head, with a single Scoter passing by off the cliffs. Further round the Head, 6 Brent Geese, Cormorant, Shag, Great Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull are on the wing.
The ledges are packed with Guillemots, revisiting the ledges as breeding season approaches, with more growling softly from the water below, along with a few Razorbills.
A cock Pheasant, looking glossy and magnificent in the sunshine struts around the Gallery terrace.