Immediately I head out for hay rake quarr in search of Gentians, thanks to Debbie Welham. Again, an elusive Green Woodpecker was heard but it was a surprise to find a small cluster of plucked Wood Pigeon feathers before south field. A Blackbird crossed my path as I admired the yellows Buttercups, Cowslips, and even a few Hay Rattle flowers. I investigated a cluster of orchids to establish that eight stems were Green Veined and nine were Early Purple Orchids. In additional there was an occasional Pale Flax flowers in south field.
In Saxon, a Chaffinch broadcast from a Sycamore and was joined by a Whitethroat. The Song Thrush that started singing from the Large Copse appeared to travel over to Hay Rake quarr. Searching the short sward, I of course saw Chalk Milkwort, Early Spider Orchids, Birdsfoot Trefoil, and less obvious Kidney Vetch upon stony ground. Bumble Bees buzzed about the cotoneaster bush on its tip I noticed a Brown Tailed Moth caterpillar web tent. Patches of ground crawling Cotoneaster were also notice. Eventually, I found a solitary Early English Gentian plant and in flower. This lonely plant had at least three more flowers yet to open. I was then disappointed that there were not more, see by me, at this location. The Pheasant Cockcrow distracted me and sent me on my way.
Entering the down-land a pair of Bullfinches rested upon a scrub island. I was please to see the bottlebrush like leaf whorls of Common Toadflax. Through the downland plenty of Yellow Wort stems were noted, without flowers. A male Stonechat rested on a Bramble stem that poked out of a scrub clump. Looking into the upper gully I heard both Chiff Chaff and Greenfinch and noted a vibrant shelled Garden Snail travelling at ninety degrees to ground level.
My second Early English Gentian encounter beside Lighthouse Road was more successful. Above the measured mile markers, amongst exposed limestone, I counted five plants in total with some showing signs of up to nine flowers. It was a treat to encounter a Glow Worm crawling across the tarmac before the centre toilets. Hamish reported seeing a Spotted Spy-catcher.