The arrival of British Summer Time has brought with it a grey overcast and windy morning!
Sheltered alongside a Blackthorn hedge was a Roe Deer. The hedge has a small smattering of delicate pinkish white blossom but it mostly awash with buds about to burst.
The Roe Deer was browsing on the rich green grass on the top on a Yellow Meadow Ant hill, as I watched this animal move, the powder-puff white patch of fur on its rump, is much smaller and tattier than last week.
A flash of pink enabled me to admire a male Bullfinch, while nearby in amongst the mass of Wild Clematis was a duller pink, almost brown fronted female.
Across the meadows the song of Skylarks could be heard above the wind, a few good views as they were mostly flying low, allowing me to enjoy their white and brown streaks.
The ground is coming alive with flowers and leaves, with more Cowslips beginning to raise their heads – but still a couple of weeks away from the full glory of a carpet of yellow.
Along the edges the lemon coloured Primroses mix with the deep purple of Dog Violets and the green leaves of Lords and Ladies. A single pink Herb Robert and blue Green Alkanet caught my eye.
On the downs the tiny white flowers of Common Whitlow Grass and Hairy Bittercress, as well as Hairy Violets. Perched on top of the bright yellow Gorse flowers was a Stonechat.
The sound of drumming coming from a Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a flash of green as a Green Woodpecker took flight from the fantastic London Plane. Looking up in the canopy and a Chiffchaff was moving in the branches, searching for morsels of food amongst the lichens.
A Treecreeper climbed the trunk of a Horse Chestnut, the white underside and curved beak spotted through my binoculars.