Despite the dull grey sky and seas, wonderful to be walking along the clifftops this morning. Perched on the rock a Great-black Backed Gull – our largest type of gull, with its 5 foot wingspan, black wings and back lined with white.
Otherwise quiet, now the Guillemots and Razorbills have left these shores to recuperate after the breeding season.
Lots of flowers to spot including the bright Red Valerian alongside White Valerian, tall stems of Hogweed and Hemp Agrimony as well as the bright yellow Ragwort and Black Mustard.
Growing up from verge Wood Sage, its flowers easily missed, not something that can be said for the very showy Hollyhock and Common Mallow.
As I retuned up the hill a family of Herring Gulls started to call and squeak as they wheeled around in the wind.
Clambering over the Blackthorn and Bramble scrub, is Wild Clematis, the small pale lemon flowers covering some areas.
Many of the Buddleias are now showing off their erect purple stem of flowers, but in today weather not a single butterfly to be seen on what is sometimes called the ‘Butterfly Bush’.
A great display of Teasels, their spiky stems topped with an oval head, covered in spines and a circle of purple flowers, just another example of the extraordinary variety of flower shapes.
On the shorter downland turf patches of Wild Thyme are still carpeting the ground, with Squinancywort and Eyebright also to be spotted alongside a few remaining Kidney Vetch and Bird’s-foot Trefoil.
A few bright pink, 5 petalled Centaury add to the colours as does Burnet Saxifrage. Stuck onto the stem of Tall Fescue grass was the almost papery remains of the cocoon of a Six-spot Burnet Moth.