Clayton to Ditchling and Back

 Yesterday I had a walk along the South Down's Way from the Jack & Jill Windmills to The Ditchling Beacon and back, with a bit of wandering off track on the open access land, glorious weather, sunny with a cold wind, which is pretty much my favourite weather!! Was pretty much as expected, great views of Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipits and Linnet, reasonable views of Corn Buntings, nothing to indicate migration although a Swallow on the short drive home was my first of the year, nice to get one in March! A few pics below.

Jill Windmill in the early morning light

The views all around are spectacular and look not a cloud in the sky

Let's get the obligatory Hurstpierpoint Church pic out of the way early doors!

Feisty Robin

Couple of Pied Wagtails on the Dung heap near the Stables, no Stonechats in this area as yet!

The entire walk was accompanied by Skylark song, magic!

Brighton

A Green Woodpecker lurked in the shadows but soon relocated to a nearby bush

Showed nicely but was bit distant

Linnet

Yellowhammer at first played hard to get, but I eventually with a bit of patience got a few ok shots

The yellow hue was from the flowers of the gorse bush I was hiding behind, I'm like a Ninja sometimes!

I'd hoped at some point it would settle on to a Gorse Bush, but it failed to do so! What is the point of being a bright yellow bird if you don't sit on top of the bright yellow flowers? 

Wasn't really full  singing but gave a couple of renditions of the old "little bit of bread and no cheese"

I forgot to mention I was surrounded by beasts most of the time, my legendary fearlessness was fully on show! At this point they had taken the high ground, I believe they were planning an ambush!!

Couple of Stonechats 

Meadow Pipit in display/song flight always a treat to see, were plenty about

Easier to get pics when they are sat on a bush!

Corn Bunting, only saw three! None were particularly close!

Meadow Pipit

Fly by Rook

Strange looking fellas but I like em!

Another Meadow Pipit

Trig point at Ditchling Beacon, proof I made it all the way!

Wolstonbury Hill from the Beacon

Another showy Yellowhammer here

With the wind picking up  Buzzards began to appear

Do love a Yellowhammer

Plenty of Skylarks as well

Meadow Pipit

Getting ready to launch into another song flight

I headed back to the Car Park, with the wind picking up, I decided on a half hour Raptor Watch, there has been a Goshawk seen in and above Hurstpierpoint so I thought in the conditions I may catch a glimpse! Sadly not, but about six Buzzards and a single Red Kite wasn't  a bad haul!

Common Buzzard

Red Kite with Rook

A few Rooks in the field below the car park

That was about that, fabulous spring walk!

I returned home and made a Victoria Sponge which didn't turn out as well as usual. However judicious use of Buttercream sorted the hole problem!!

Came out of the oven looking pucker!

On cooling sinkage, but only on one half!!! ?

Applied Buttercream

Problem sorted! Not sure what happened skewer came out clean other half was fine!! The joys of Gluten free I suppose, still tasted great. Margie did point out I could have put the bit with the hole on the bottom! That's why she's the brains of the outfit!!