A Different Day

The atmosphere up on the cliffs this morning was completely different from yesterday with more sound, more light and more birdsong. The Sun seemed slightly redder than usual: there was a haze along the horizon, but whether this was Portuguese smoke or Saharan sand I don't know. Waves had been whipped up and were rolling along the rocks giving an undulating rumble, making some of the finest background music you will find anywhere. Behind me in the Gorse the chatter of birds was as constant as the waves, with Robin and Wren trying to out-shout each other, then suddenly a Firecrest popped up. This tiny little bird, our smallest and about the weight of a 20p coin, makes the Wren look positively chunky and disappeared just as quickly as it arrived.

 

The Calm Before the Storm.

As Ophelia slides up the coast of Ireland blowing in excess of 80mph, life was quieter and a little less turbulent on the cliffs this morning. Waves were rolling and crashing against the rocks but the sea wasn't too rough, clouds were building but they weren't too dark and a few drops of rain fell but it wasn't too wet.
As the usual Jackdaws and gulls made the most of a freshening breeze a slate-grey Peregrine, only slightly darker than the blue-grey sea, patrolled the cliffs looking for breakfast.
There was nothing to sea here, nothing at all!

The Triple

 We have more than our fair share of wetlands around here, from the shores of Poole Harbour to along the river valley and also at Weymouth. This gives us a great chance to see many different species of water bird including the the Great White and Little Egrets and the faithful old Grey Heron. It was more than a little special to see these three in the same place though.

Snakes, Dragons and the Stonechat.

I called in to the Purbeck Artisan Yard in Wareham today to replace a few prints that have sold and took the chance to wander down the river for a while. The weather was perfect and there was plenty to see with Stonechats supplying a soundtrack just louder than the rustle of reeds in the wind. Butterflies were out in numbers as well as a few Dragonflies, Swans passed on the tide and a couple of Mallards had a serious discussion about one thing or another. Every now and again I'd stop to watch a ripple on the water, the movement of a Reed or listen to a sound that didn't seem to fit. I was careful where I stood, partly because of the mud but also to keep the noise down, but it was a bit of a shock when a beautiful Grass Snake came to life just in front of me.

The Kingshrimper

On the shores of Poole harbour you may well see a Kingfisher or two, that is if you are lucky and paying attention. These birds are quick and you may well only see a flash of neon blue as it skims above the water.
If you are really lucky the Kingfisher may choose a perch not too far away and start fishing for shrimps. Watching them do this is a real treat and catching it on camera is pretty special.

A Good Hare Day

This evening's wander was always going to be good, rain that had hounded the day had cleared and left a beautiful evening.
Amongst the Sika and Roe, one massively outnumbered by the other, was a Fox and two Hares. On any other walk I would have played hide and seek with Mrs Fox but the chance of a close encounter Hare was too much to resist.
As the Sun went down a second Hare appeared, boxed slightly with the first and then settled to eat the tender new shoots of grass that have been so helped by the rain.

Summer

I have been neglecting this little blog for the last few months , this may be due to the summer being a busy time in our little town or it could be that July and August are months that I find difficult to work with. Nature is always around of course but I feel far more comfortable in the Autumn, Winter and Spring.
There is always the morning wander though, the walk with the dogs that is the most important of the day, and this morning I found myself on the cliffs again. For me there is no better place to sit and watch the world go by.

As if the view needed improving, to our right sat a Peregrine completely disinterested by our presence and with a selfcontrol that is reserved for our apex predators.