Monday, October 27th. What a glorious day! Spent most of it working on the electric fencing at the NT’s Birling Gap in readiness for the ponies arriving thereat the end of the week. Saw 3 swallows up towards Belle Tout lighthouse.
Tuesday, October 28th. A milk-round of a day – lookering ponies in Ashdown area, Hastings and finally at Lullington Heath, where I closed up several compartments and drove the 9 ponies on to the heath area of the Reserve.
Wednesday, October 29th. A drab, damp but mild day… At precisely 4-44pm, there was an enormous bang whilst I was standing in the quiet of the garden making a phone call! It would appear to have been the sonic boom from two RAF Typhoon fighter jets intercepting an ‘unidentified’ aircraft over Kent. As it coincided with daylight beginning to fade, I’ve never heard in my life so many pheasants shouting at once!
Thursday, October 30th. Another glorious day spent at Birling Gap queaking the electric fencing. During the morning I should have been wearing shorts it was so warm!
Friday, October 31st. The gathering in of Herd 1 didn’t go to plan! Early afternoon and we eventually loaded just 11 ponies and transported them down to Birling Gap, which on arrival mid-afternoon, caused quite a bit of interest as a large cattle lorry pulled into the busy car park and then proceeded to reverse between the rows of parked cars to the unloading point. A long day and certainly had far better days!
Saturday, November 1st. While having an afternoon cup of tea in Tunbridge Wells, observed a magpie systematically working along the eaves of a oldish 2-storey building presumably feeding on spiders etc. It was making full use of its long tail to peer down from the gutter and then using it woodpecker-fashion, to brace itself whilst on the vertical wall.