The huge claps of thunder and flashes of lightning from last night had gone, leaving dark foreboding clouds, the thick patches of rain could be watched as it deposited towards Portland, then St Aldhelm’s and finally over me at Durlston – meaning a wet end to my patrol!!
A Swallow swooped overhead as I crossed the meadow, the long pointed tail feathers easily observed as was the long tails and up and down flight pattern of the Pied Wagtails.
Along the hedgerows, last nights storm has had an effect, with the piles of rambling Old Mans’ Beard flattened and the wisps of the flower and seed heads all stuck together. The remaining Blackberries now a mush on the long trailing stems of Brambles.
On the ground a few patches of purple from the flowers of the Greater Knapweed are dotted about, as are the yellows Rough Hawkbit (looks a bit like a small Dandelion), plus a few Yarrows and some Wild Carrot. In the dew pond a covering a frond like leaves and a few flowers of Scentless Mayweed.
A flock of Goldfinches tinkled as they flew overhead, in the dull light their yellow wing flashes just visible.
Down on the coast 32 Guillemots were counted on the ledge (none on the water) as I strained to see them through the rain covered binoculars, they all looked to be sporting their ‘winter’ or more accurately non-breeding plumage.
Wandering back some deep purple flowers of Self-heal caught my attention, as did the croak of a Raven from overhead, a dark black shape looming across the sky.
A flash of deep red from the underwing of a blackbird sized bird, was a Redwing dropping down into the Hawthorn.