What a glorious morning out on the Park, so much to enjoy at this time of year, I was almost overwhelmed with choice – should I look at the flowers, the land birds, or perhaps seabirds, insects, bugs or the views! So a bit of all of them!!
Bounding across the path just ahead of me, the long thin brown body of a Weasel spotted, this mammal the size of a long sausage, always strikes me as surprisingly small!
Perched on the lower branches of a flowering May tree (Hawthorn) was a Bullfinch, its bright pink chest showing up brilliantly. Flitting nearby a few Goldfinches, their tinkling calling easily heard as was the seeping call of a Greenfinch.
A spectacular display of Kidney Vetch down by the cliffs, a hillside of yellow flowers, flitting amongst them the tiny almost grey, Small Blue butterfly (this is the food plant of their caterpillars).
Not to be outdone the Horseshoe Vetch is also showing amazingly, the deep yellow almost circular flowers being inspected by the vivid blue Adonis Blue butterfly.
Clambering up a blade of grass was a huge (comparatively) Oil Beetle, a lovely deep bluey colour. While both Lesser and Greater Bloody-nosed Beetles also spotted as they too travelled.
The patch of Gladiolus (originally a garden escape but now wild) is looking superb this morning, a deep cerise against the brilliant green grass and blue sky.
The sound of Skylarks all across the downs, while the chatting of Stonechats very noticeable, drawing attention to a variety of birds, all with different marking or shades of colour.
A scattering of the delicate Quaking Grass growing amongst the yellow Hay Rattle, the odd Ox-Eye Daisy and the round-heads of Salad Burnet.
Feeding on the nectar of a Smooth Sow Thistle was a solitary bee, unfortunately my bee identification skills are not up to this species!