It’s a hot start to the day, with the Sun already high in the sky, so I decide to take a cooler walk through the shade of the woodland. Up in the tree canopy, the repetitive churrs of a Magpie can be heard, and I spot a Jay swooping silently across the path in front of me.
Fresh lime-green leaves have now sprouted from the evergreen Holm Oaks, pushing out the browning leaves which remain from the last year. They trickle down as if it were autumn, giving a Mediterranean feel to a very warm morning.
Despite the heat, Spittlebugs remain cool on the stems of Wood Dock, hidden within their balls of cuckoo spit which they have produced from sucking sap from the plant.
I continue my walk down the Isle of Wight road, after receiving a stone delivery on the way. Bright sunlight beams from high above the sea to my right. Speckled Wood butterflies dance above the above in patches where it shines through the leaves.
A chorus of various bird song rings out; the mellow fluted tunes from a Blackbird, the quicker high pitched song from a Wren, and the repetitive continuous chirps from a Chiffchaff. A break in the canopy reveals a couple Herring Gulls flying overhead, and some more can be heard cawing in the distance.
Just by one of the viewpoints, I enjoy watching a family of fledging Great Tits nosily hopping from branch to branch as they follow their parents through the trees.
With the longest day fast approaching, many more flowers have come into bloom in the woodland; Yellow Hypericum, purple Stinking Iris, and pink Wild Rose. Even more beautiful displays can be enjoyed on the open grasslands – Charlock, Wild Carrot, and Ox-eye Daisies. Closer to the turf you can see spikes of Spearwort have flowered, alongside scatterings of Wild Thyme, and the more occasional clusters of pink Centaury.