Wall to wall sunshine this morning here at Durlston, the gentle northerly breeze rippling through the meadows – many of the grasses, including Wild Oats, seem especially vigorous this May, growing taller and thicker than I seem to remember.
Lots of wildflowers springing up through with swathes of Bulbous Buttercups, alongside the paler yellow Hay Rattle, still a few Cowslips to find but most have now gone to seed.
Spots of deep pinky-purple see Common Vetch flowers while the delicate blue haze, across Centenary was caused by the Pale Flax petals.
Skylarks singing loudly from above, brown dots in the blue sky, while another couple hovered just above the flowers allowing me a much better look.
Dashing along the hedgerow a Kestrel being chased by a Jackdaw, the newly emerged flowers on an Elder hiding the Chiffchaff which was singing loudly.
The low growing Ground Ivy providing a couple of thick patches or deep purple while out on the downland area dense patches of blue Chalk Milkwort are amazing.
In song from the Blackthorn, Common Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Bullfinch.
The narrow black wings of a Swift caught my eye, as this bird whizzed overhead, probably having just arrived back from Africa, a couple of Swallows also in view – so easy to spot the differences between these two returning migrants.
Bounding into an old quarry working was a Rabbit – becoming quite a rare sight here now, while 3 Roe Deer were sunning themselves amongst the long grass.
A Red Admiral fluttered past, while a Green Hairstreak flashed iridescent green from its position on the Ivy leaf, and a Holly Blue flew by.