It was a rather dull morning; however, the light rain was refreshing albeit an inconvenience for binocular and spectacle use! I checked the Winter Into Spring trail. From the bird hide I discovered empty bird feeders other than one stocked nyger, which was visited by a Blue Tit. Eventually, one stationary Smooth Newt was seen in the Wildlife Pond which had an increased amount of vibrant green algae bloom. A Water Boatman was seen rowing its “oars” to reach deeper water.
There was increased Honeysuckle leaf cover amongst the scaffolding of thorns as I approached Lighthouse Road. It was a delight to discover, amongst many tight closed buds, three fully opened blossom flowers on the Cherry Plum. A Robin made an appearance beside Long Meadow, whilst a Wren disappeared amongst Ivy clad Elms beside the timeline. Approaching the castle, the sound of foghorn boomed out from a ship obscured in the mist. Near the kiosk a carpet of Cleavers had developed between tree stumps which themselves were mostly clad with Ivy, although one wore a cloak of Wild Madder. Three Wood Pigeon were investigating the ground near the Great Globe. A Blue Tit perched in Holm Oak as I approached the observation point.
Feral Pigeons and Jackdaws perched together on the cliff top. A little patience revealed three Fulmars as being active off the cliffs. Side by side two Greater Black Back Gulls perched above the Guillemot cave. On the ledge below them were a pair of Herring Gulls whilst a raft of fifty Guillemots were close to the cliff base. In additions to the Guillemots a good fourteen Razorbills were upon the sea several oof which were bonding by beak wiping each other. I was to see two more Razorbills standing upright like their Penguin cousins on a water side ledge often used by the Shags. Appropriately, a Shag flew into the cliff face near them. Passing the Dolphin watcher’s shelter, I smelt the musk of a Fox and noted the clear signs of a regular mammal track between vegetation. Before that a pile of Pigeon breast feathers suggested perhaps a Sparrow Hawk kill as the remains were between trees.
I saw a Brittany Ferry pass Durlston Head leaving our coast. Perhaps this had been the source of the foghorn? But no…as the deep booming sound came again from the mist further offshore. A pair of Goldfinch appeared near the weather station. I investigated the wildlife garden hoping to find the bird feeders in use. Instead I saw a Magpie wiping its beak in a Sycamore tree.