A beautiful sunny bank holiday Monday falls over the park this morning, as I start my walk, I seem to be one of only a few who got up early to go for a walk on a bank holiday. Heading through to the woodland and looking out over the water, the sun glistens on the still water below in Durlston bay. Willow Herb covered in delicate bright pink flowers and Bristly Oxtongue with bright yellow flowers, gently sway in the breeze.
Looking down into the Dell from the bridge, bright red Fushia flowers stand out against the varying shades of green. A Buhdlia in full bloom purple flowers towering over everything else. A Red Admiral flutters past me down into the Dell coming to land on a Buhdlia flower. The call of a Wren hidden somewhere in the foliage below floats up to me on the bridge above.
On the Caravan Terrace a flash of orange catches my eye as it flys past, it comes to land on a Hemp Agrimony flower and turn out to be a Jersey Tiger Moth. The striking black and white stripes on full display and the orange I sore being its underside. The caravan terrace being very sheltered from the wind I also see a Green Fritillary Butterfly basking on the wall.
Going round the corner at the bottom of the steep path, the sea becomes bumpier with the sound of waves crashing into the bottom of the cliffs filling the air. Amongst the cut Tamarisk the pale purple flowers of Sea Aster push their way through the fronds of the Tamarisk. Further along the path a large group of Jack Daws perch of the cliff, amongst them a Shag perches of a small perch sticking out of the cliff. At a glace you would be forgiven for thinking it was just an odd sized Jack Daw.
Heading up the diagonal path a pair of Gate Keeper Butterflies have an arial dispute, seemingly oblivious to my presence as a I have to shuffle round them.