Another glorious early morning patrol, today the clifftops were calling me, where circling in large circles above Durlston Bay was a Buzzard, its pale underside and pale brown upper feathers noticeable as it turned.
On Durlston Head, perched a Peregrine Falcon, gazing out across the calm water, every now and then letting out long loud plaintive cries, perhaps waiting and hoping for a parent to bring it some breakfast!
Taking a long sweeping curves in and out of the cliffs were 2 Fulmars, their continued existence here potentially indicating that they have bred this years and still have a chick sat in a nook or cranny on the cliffs – Fulmars are slow breeders with their young taking longer to leave than most other seabirds.
Not a single Guillemot to be seen today, their breeding season is now over and they have headed westwards to the open sea to spend the next few months.
A young Shag was diving under the water, the bubbles spotted and then the dark streamlined shape watched until it popped up.
On land many butterflies to watch, including the large Painted Lady which often perched on the dark purple head of the Greater Knapweed. Causing a brown blurr, the fluttering movements of the small Lulworth Skippers, amongst the larger two-tone brown Gatekeepers.
The tall Ploughman’s Spikenard, a multi flowered yellow head, growing alongside the Golden Samphire, Black Mustard, Fleabane, Common Ragwort and Ladies Bedstraw all various shades of yellow.
Hovering above the Red Valerian a Hummingbird Hawk-moth, the stripes visible through the blurr of wings.
A constant flitting of birds in the Ash tree, saw Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Chiffchaff and Wren.