Yesterday, saw my first Yellowhammer encounter (of 2023) albeit on the summit of Spyway’s coastal slope. Today, in Durlston it was a delight to see my first Early Spider Orchid flower. The being this one upon a grassy knoll in the linear glade through the scrub in Field 3. A splendid fully formed specimen with others scheduled to open nearby. At the dew pond, which was a milky tea colour, the flowers of Common Water-crowfoot poked out of the water. Each flower consisted of white petalled about a yellow core.
I walked through dew drenched grassland which brought “squash court sneaker squeaks” from my boots. The sound of Chiffchaff and later Skylark rang out. Stumpy Early Spider Orchids were dotted about the short turf of the coastal ridge, still to flower and easy to step on. Upon Blackthorn I assumed some leaves had replaced blossom whilst in places it simply joined it. Around a tendril of Bramble and Garden Snail wrapped its muscular foot and climbed. Between two wild roses I counted three Pincushion Galls. Being overtaken by a Raven, was pleasant. Just visible at the perimeter of a significant Gorse Island, on the coastal downland, was a Roe buck. It sat on the ground and had a linear scrape of missing fur about its neck. It is always a shock when a hen Pheasant emerges, in a panic of noisy wing beats, from the ground. I passed a Greenfinch, in bare Hawthorn, then a Bullfinch before entering the Meadows where Cowslips were enjoyed. On the boundary between both habitats perched a Magpie. Over the meadows a Herring Gull pursued a Carrion Crow over a territorial dispute. A trio of Magpies sat upon the canopy of dense scrub cover, watching, and listening. Although three Great Black-backed Gulls flew west two were seeing of the third. In Holcombe stood one Dandelion species seed clock resembling a bleached Afro hair style. In Saxon a Bumblebee buzzed past my face, but a collision was avoided.
Hamish reported having seen a Sand Martin! Happy Easter to you all.