As I began my patrol, starting out along the meadows I was greeted by clouds of butterflies taking flight around me, as they moved Meadow Brown, Marbled White, Small Heath and Gatekeepers all seen, as they settled back onto the greenery, 12 Gatekeepers basked in the sunshine on the leaves of a small patch of Wild Clematis.
As I looked closer, Dark Bush-crickets could be seen hopping and the reeling sound of Meadow Grasshoppers was coming from the long grass. From above the melodious song of a Skylark tumbled down – what a lovely start!
On a large rambling Bramble bush, the bright red wing flashes of 5 Red Admiral butterflies turned to face the sun.
The flowers in the meadows a mass of purples, whites and yellows with Selfheal and Greater Knapweed, Wild Carrot and Ox-eye Daisy, Agrimony and Rough Hawkbit. Also a smattering of Pale Flax, Pyramidal Orchids and Field Scabious.
A Bullfinch called from nearby, bursting out of it shelter to show off its white rump and pink chest, while waving around on the stem of a Hardhead (Greater Knapweed) was a Goldfinch, the stem only just strong enough as the gold, white and red bird attempted to find some seeds inside.
A Kestrel, the tan colour obvious when it bent towards me, slowly moving above me, then stopping to hover, wings flickering as it watched activity below.
Onto a patch of downland where I crawled around on my knees looking for and eventually finding the tiny star like flowers of Bastard Toadflax – once you find one they pop up all over the place!!
Other low growing flowers here included the wonderfully named Squinancywort, a delicate shade of pinky-white, plus Eyebright with its purple lines on the petals, the pink flowers of Wild Thyme, and the thin yellows petals of Common Rock Rose.
On the cliffs a few Guillemots can still be seen, the lower ledge has about 70 birds still occupying it, but probably only about 7 chicks, including one which is only a few days old.