This morning I began my walk with a quick jaunt out into the meadows. The footpaths have now been mown to direct walkers, as the surrounding grasses and wildlife begin to spring into life. Hedges are also green once again, with a splash of white flowers where the Blackthorn has blossomed.
South Field has a sunny display of Cowslips scattered in patches across the meadow, and in Saxon Field, a good display of Early Spider Orchids poke up through the short turf: The brown labellum resembling the body of a spider, burrowing deep into the centre of the petals and sepals.
With a definite chill in the air, the prevailing north-easterly wind drew me over the downs towards the Lighthouse. Chalk Milkwort underfoot, I also passed a good number of Early Purple Orchids, varying from a deep purple to bright magenta. The Gorse shrubs are billowing with their yellow, coconut-scented flowers, providing a bit of sunshine to an otherwise drab cloudy day.
A lone Guillemot dives by the pot buoys at Tilly Whim. The rest of the 400-strong colony can be seen further along the cliffs, on their ledges, and rafting on the water below. The pungent smell of guano hits you first, and then their noisy trills can be heard. One parent of each pair will now remain on the ledge until July, as they take it in turns looking after their eggs and chicks.
Along the coast path, a charm of Goldfinch trickle through the Tamarisk, and a few Linnets sing from atop the canopy.
Runners assemble outside the Castle, preparing to set out on Durlston’s particularly challenging parkrun. I dropped into the Dell to check on the plantings, and was pleased to see fresh leaves sprouting across nearly all of the plants. The Spotted Laurels have grown a good few inches already, showing resilience to being munched by deer earlier in the year, and now competing with the surrounding Dock, Nettle, and Horsetails.