The sun shines bright and warm over Durlston this morning, a slight cooling breeze accompanies the heat to make it pleasant for an early morning stroll. Heading towards Skipworth meadow, Greater Knapweed and Field Vetch catch the eye the two different shades of bright purple contrasting against the straw-coloured grass.
In Skipworth the hedge row is full of Bramble flowers going over and leaving blackberries in their wake, the berries still small and green waiting to ripen. Olds Mans Beard clambers over Blackthorn the creamy white fluffy flowers, appearing like snow atop the Blackthorn. The hedge is alive with Gate Keeper Butterfly’s flittering between the Old Mans Beard, Bramble and Nettles. Glancing over to the other end of the field I spot two Roe Deer just before there disappear through a gap in the hedge, white bums disappearing into the foliage.
A caret of yellow Agrimony is interspersed with the purple of Knapweed. Sticky seed adorn the Agrimony not in flower. Through into Sazon where a different carpet of yellow flowers can we seen, Eyebright carpets either side of the path, Red Bartsia marks the edges of the footpath through the field. A small Butterfly crosses my path coming to land on a blade of grass, the Small Skipper sits posing on the blade as if wanting to have its photo taken.
The Hereford cattle have gathered at the top of field ten by the gates, some using the posts put in for an electric fence as a scratching post and ruining the Wednesday work party volunteers’ efforts. Some lounge around in the shade of the drystone wall, while others graze nearby.
Sitting on the rock at the top of light house field, the hum of busy Bees working, and the drone of Bush Crickets fills the air. Above a Kestrel soar past, the sun catching its hazel brown stripped back, it dives down towards the cliffs and out of sight.