Driving in, a Woodpigeon flew up from the road, whilst I just caught sight of Jay as it moved deeper into the hedgerow. Squirrels scampered about roadside trees; one chose to adventure across the open tarmac. In the wildlife garden one male Blackbird pursued another down a bird ringer’s ride. Much Hawthorn leaf was out here. A Great Tit was pecking away at lichen upon an otherwise bare thorn bush.
Despite it being the last day of British Wintertime a Winter Heliotrope persisted in showing six flowers at the Small Copse. Nearby more Blackthorn blossom had opened. A visit to the cliff top revealed a pair of Greater Black Backed Gulls to be perched above a vacant seabird cave. At least one Fulmar arched about the cliffs, whilst it was a pair of Herring Gulls hunkered down together on the edge of Tilly Whim’s wave cut platform. After croaking then landing upon the upper mile marker a Raven took off heading towards the castle only to return shortly. Whilst a bright sun dazzled through light cloud there was much froth formed by the swell at the gully mouth.
Down in the gully I could hear the wind as it passed through the mile markers and overhead wires. I believed it was a Redstart (although it was not any red that was obvious to me!), with a black face and greyish colour, that flitted between scrub and thorn. A Rabbit that descended the gully slope was briefly chased by either a small stone or piece of dry cowpat that it had dislodged. One of the park’s few English Oaks held buds, cherry galls and wore lichen in the gully bottom where leaf cover was absent.
A Skylark chose to broadcast over lighthouse green where below Honeysuckle leaves climbed through dry Tor Grass and bare Blackthorn. Old Man’s Beard poked out fresh leaves and Wayfaring tree held buds. Beside lighthouse road bridge a Chiff Chaff called as a Dunnock sang, whilst the Pear tree’s buds were showing signs of opening soon. A thoughtful person had created small circles of stone around some of the Earlier Spider Orchid basal rosettes in Saxon Field. Once my “eye was homed in” I spotted several more of which a few held upright leaves presumably hiding buds. Retuning to the centre a Green Woodpecker was heard calling. It was a Pied Wagtail that flew over the roof of the Learning Centre. Whilst the building itself had a male House Sparrow calling from the guttering.