Greeting the start of my patrol were Swallows, at least 10 whizzing in across the land, swooping and twisting as they travelled, a wonderful opportunity to admire the deep blue backs and long tails as they passed.
The sound of Linnets was emerging from the yellow flowered Gorse which was lining the path, these small brown birds with pink cap and chests were flitting up and down form prickly spike to spike.
The burst of a scratchy rattle, made me trawl through my mind as it was a sound I hadn’t heard since last summer, a Common Whitethoat, which with a quick search was perched on the top of the Blackthorn (which was covered in delicate white flowers). Wonderful to hear and see this African migrant, which has returned again to breed.
Perched on the cliff edge a Kestrel, the sun shining on the chestnut coloured back of this male, the black dots and grey head easy to see as it watched my movement.
The ground on the downland, in places, is covered in Early Spider Orchids, the dark brown fuzzy ‘flower’ has on very close inspection two shiny ‘eyes’, a fascinating looking plant.
From a patch of Bramble, movement of Stonechats caught my eye, flitting up and down, the black head of the male contrasting with the brown of the female.
Danish Scurvy Grass providing a mass of white flowers on the cliff tops, amongst which a Rock Pipit was strutting.
On the hillside a Meadow Pipit stood on the hillside home of some Yellow Meadow Ants, and a Skylark sung loudly from above.
Some of the fields are covered in Cowslips providing a mass of yellow colouration, while there are a few Early Purple Orchids dotted about – more of a pink colour to me.
Slowly walking across the path a Greater Bloody-nosed Beetle, such a perfect beetle!