Herring Gulls were the most prominent this morning, calling from above the woodland trees, as well as House Sparrows from scrubs and bushes. Yesterday morning I was excited to see a Firecrest, my initial enthusiasm slowed slightly as my id and explanation of a bright red crest instead of golden is not the only thing or best thing to look for when separating a Firecrest and a Goldcrest. What you should look for is; the Firecrest’s head has a broader, blacker cap with thin orange centre and a broad white band above the dark eye stripe which is a more striking feature.
I could hear a Greater Spotted Woodpecker drilling in a similar place to yesterday, a Great Tit sang from a Sycamore tree only a few feet into the woods and a Magpie silently and gracefully flew from a London Plane to a large Sycamore. Along the woodchip path a could hear a Sparrow Hawk, searching around I spotted it perched on a branch of an Ash tree. I watched it until it flew through the woods disturbed by the sound of a dog.
Through the trees the sky was bright white with dusky pink parallel lines, a bright blue calm sea and a perfect silhouette of the Isle of Wight. Looking over towards the castle Jackdaws sat upon one of the limestone turrets, a Blackbird sat camouflaged on a Hawthorn tree and nearby a Dunnock and Robin perched and sang.
Towards the observation point 30+ Jackdaws were flying all around, two Great Black-backed Gulls sat on a ledge and above them a Peregrine Falcon surveyed the cliffs. Four Fulmars circled around the cliffs and the 30 or so Jackdaws came back to nooks and crevasse along the cliff face. Five Wood Pigeons flew over like a group of Red Arrows, in formation then splitting off in different directions.
Walking up past the mile markers I saw Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Great-tit, Blue-tit, Goldfinch and Dunnock. Nearing the top, the sound of Skylarks singing filled the air, Bullfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch also seen in this area. Heard by one of the bird ringers was a Linnet and a couple of Chiffchaff were ringed.