I was looking forward to my patrol having been off for many days. It started well with good weather. Tall mustard-coloured plants were this of Wild Parsnip. Just beyond the wildlife garden perched in an Ash tree, with several bare branches, was a Kestrel. One of the Skipper butterfly species fluttered by. The yellow “Pom Pom” peas sized flowers were those of Hops Vetch. At the path edge were the blues Self Heal and yellow spikes of Agrimony along with Red Bartsia. Silently a Greenfinch perched. Meadow Browns were in flight and of course Ragwort was in flower. Striations of Grasshoppers came from the tall sward.
Then my morning went downhill rapidly…
The cattle were out in Lighthouse Field. A field gate was found left opened, despite Hannah having replaced its slamming post. Time for damage limitation. I closed the top road gate, jumped onto the Mule and reinstated a Pedestrian gate on the coast path then went to close the rail gate into the Goat Plot. I also took a mineral lick down to the cattle in the hope of tempting them back into field 10a.
One of the Hereford Cattle began chewing on a plastic arrow (see phot) placed by some event coming through the park (not ParkRun). Luckily, it spat it out as it would have caused damaged if swallowed.
I was unsuccessful herding them on my own so had to leave tp read the weather. Fortunately, both Hannah & Ben are in from 10am so hopefully they can resolve this matter.
So if my diary is lacking in wildlife you can understand why.
The joys of being a Ranger……
I van added that the delicate white woodland flowers of Enchanters Nightshade made me smile on the way to the castle. Through the cliff camera three Guillemot fledglings were observed, with three adults, back on the ledge. Their downy feathers had gone suggesting they ad returned, but why?