Another beautiful morning at Durlston Country Park, although feeling a little chillier than yesterday, still a stunning crisp feel to the air. I started my walk in the hide, a lovely wildlife area with a pond at the centre and bordered by thick scrub, tall trees, short and long grass, dry stone wall and recently laid hedges. Rummaging around the base of a bird feeder was a female Pheasant, collecting up the seeds dropped by the Blue-tit and Sparrow that pecked at the bird feeder. 3 Robins perched and sang noisily from a Sycamore tree, a Magpie sat on top another and 2 Greenfinches perched on an Ash tree.
Walking past Caravan Terrace a lovely sight of a Wood Pigeon sat in a Sycamore tree caught my eye, it was lit up beautifully in the morning sun. As I peered through my binoculars a Roe Deer was only 2ft away from it; it was incredibly still, I thought maybe it had spotted us only to realise it was urinating! It then quietly crept its way back into the cover of the overhanging trees.
The aim today was to wonder the Cliftop Trail and it didn’t disappoint, apart from the amount of rubbish I had to pick up on-route. The Greater-Periwinkle are in full bloom now a lovely purple splash of colour underneath the dark Lichen covered Blackthorn where a Dunnock sang from the top.
From the Observation Point the clifftop was a flurry of activity, far out 4 Brent Geese flew in a ‘V’ shape formation, Herring Gulls whirled around up high, Fulmars circled, Great Black-backed Gulls called from the cliff ledges, Jackdaws flew between the Tamarisk, Wood Pigeons and Feral Pigeons appeared and disappeared, Stonechats perched on Blackthorn and Raven crooked from a top the Holm Oaks. On the water 50 Guillemots and 20 Razorbills bobbed as well as 50+ Guillemots sat on the ledge.
The gentle sound of a Wood Pigeon cooing in the background was a calming effect from all the mass of flapping and noise they have recently been making. A sudden shape caught my eye as a Peregrine shot past at eye level, 3 in total seen, 2 of which swirled around in a frenzy, a possible territorial move.
Back up in the woods the sound of Chaffinch filled the air, also heard were Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Great and Blue-tit and Robin. The end of my walk was donated by the call of a Green-woodpecker. Also seen down in the woods was a Tree Creeper.