The meadows, especially Johnston Meadow (number 7), covered in a glorious carpet of yellow flowers from the Cowslips in full bloom. Just to stand and admire was a joy, which was then added to by the wafts of song from the Skylarks which had ascended high into the sky.
If that had been my early walk complete, I would have been happy, but I was treated to much more, including a chorus of birdsong, including the two-tone Chiffchaff, loud blasting Wren, weak twiddle of a Dunnock, fluty Song Thrush and Blackbird, and the scratchy song of a Common Whitethroat.
A sudden swoop across my eyeline and a Swallow headed above the scrub, while the twitter of a Linnet caught my attention as it landed on the top of a Blackthorn bush, the blossom of which is now going over, the leaves in abundance.
Disappearing into the bottom of a patch of scrub was a Chiffchaff carrying a feather in its beak, lets hope this is a sign of breeding to come.
Across the downs the Early Spider Orchids can be spotted, their brown furry ‘flower’ looking like a spider’s body & eyes (with a bit of imagination!). Britain’s collection of these extraordinary plants found predominantly along this little strip of coastline.
While looking for/at these, the Green-winged Orchids are also to be spotted, on close inspection their green striped veins can be seen.
Some bright blue patches of Chalk Milkwort looking superb amongst the short grass, while the yellow flowers of a Bird’s-foot Trefoil was open and Dandelions are scattered providing delightful splashes of yellow, as are Lesser Celandine flowers.
Greater Bloody-nose Beetles are trundling about, when these bluish-black rotund insects walk I am reminded of a clockwork toy!