A warm start to the day, with a Slowworm wriggling its way across the limestone chipped path. The bronze colour of this very thin lizard (about the size of a narrow pencil), flashing in the sunlight, occasionally it flicked out its dark tongue. After a while it disappeared into the lower level of the dry-stone wall.
On the cliffs a chick of a Great Black-backed Gull could be seen wondering alongside its parent on a ledge, while a little lower down a Herring Gull chick was also inspecting its surroundings. Both of these youngsters are grey with speckled markings making them really difficult to see against the grey rocky background.
On the water Guillemots galore, chocolate brown and white birds bobbing about, many turning over and over as they washed, a much darker Razorbill, showing off its white bill flashing, was also bathing.
Looking back at the cliffs a flash of bright yellow indicated the presence of Biting Stonecrop, while a smaller area of white was the English Stonecrop. Lots of purply-pink Common Mallow now in bloom as is Red Valerian.
The shorter growing plants of Wild Thyme are now giving a pinkish carpet to some of the turf, and the Kidney Vetch, which was a mass of yellow is now going over leaving large patches of brown flower heads.
The tumbling action and song of a Rock Pipit rose from the ledges, while from the gully the chatter of young Common Whitethroats and Stonechats and Linnets could be heard, and the birds seen by following the noise!
The wonderful different shapes and colours of Wild Carrot always amazes me, ranging from white to deep pink, flat to almost round!
Swallows swooping around the pond, collecting beakfuls of water from the pond.