After the busy bank holiday weekend, the Park was quiet for my early wander, off to the clifftops (via some car park litter), and I was greeted by the sight of a glorious Gannet gliding past, the white wings tipped with black, visible as it changed course wings tipping upward. This was immediately followed by the sound of a loud piping call, alerting me to the presence of an Oystercatcher flying by, the orange beak fairly obvious, as it too headed east.
As I continued to scan the area, a long line of Guillemots strung itself across the water – just couldn’t resist counting the 198 birds! Amongst these were 15 Razorbills, adding to the black and white birds spotted, as did Great Black-backed Gull a little later Magpies.
The Danish Scurvy Grass now providing a white cover to parts of the rocky clifftops, flitting out from within was a Rock Pipit.
As I walked up the downs Early Spider Orchids appeared before my eyes – 70 counted. With my head down looking at these short specimens, I barely noticed the two Roe Deer (male and female) which were very close by, also barely noticing me!
In the meadows the Cowslips are starting to provide a yellow screen, while a single clump of False Oxlip dwarfed them – taller and brighter yellow.
Elsewhere, the only flower in the field, required a double take, to identify a clump of Summer Snowflake, the tall stems and leaves and stems topped with bell shaped white flowers dotted with green.
Chiffchaffs calling from the Blackthorn scrub, hidden amongst the beautiful white flowers, as was a Bullfinch. Perched on the top a Greenfinch ‘seeping’ noisily whilst a Chaffinch sung from nearby.
A Blue Tit has just flown into the bird box on the wall, hopefully it will nest, allowing us to watch proceedings through the images in the Visitor Centre.