It’s a cold and frosty, yet beautiful sunny morning, I’m feeling rather groggy whilst still being unwell, as well as recovering from yesterday’s (probably) record-breaking number of Stargazers, Crazy but fantastic for the park and brilliant for the stargazing people conducting the event, it was also great to see so many people particularly children so interested in the stars!
I get straight into the walk, in the Car Park as I get ready, I hear lots of Robins, Blue Tits, Great Tits, a couple of Song Thrushes (one to the distance right of me, and one to the distance left of me), Goldfinches, and a Wood Pigeon. I head straight through the car park and to the bottom of Long Meadow, here I spot 4x Herring Gulls swooping around, as well as Stinking Iris growing in front of a small and short hedge which was laid a couple of years ago. Within the Pleasure Ground Woodland amongst the Holm Oaks, I spot male Blackbird and a female Blackbird, as well as hearing Goldfinches and Linnets, and around the timeline I spot a Blue Tit flying about.
I take the Clifftop trail heading left before the Castle, I hear a Wren echoing in the Dell. As I get to Durlston Bay I stop to see what’s about – nothing much except for 1 Herring Gull, just as I got bored and started to walk away, I spot Peregrine Falcon swaying and searching looking eager to feast on something tasty – this may also be why there weren’t so many small birds flying around between the Dell and scrub below the castle as usual.
I walk on, as I walk towards the Viewpoint one can hear many a Robins singing and clicking away. At the viewpoint spotted was, of cause, many a Guillemot! As well as Jackdaws, Herring Gulls, Ferel Pigeons, a Shag close to the cliffs, and after a short wait, a couple of Fulmer’s.
I walk on to the Tilly Whim Caves, just before I check out the Guillemot Cliff Cave – Oh there are at least hundreds of Guillemots crammed – about as many as there were people at yesterdays stargazing event! I go to the caves, no Adders here this morning – to cold! But keep an eye out for Adders here at this time of year as they may be seen sunbathing on the Tilly Whim rocky walls. What I did see on the wall is the vegetation growing – Grasses, Ivy, Evergreen Oak, Wild Teasel, towards the top Tamarisk, young Blackthorn, Stinking Iris, and right at the top European Gorse. It’s now time to head back up to the Learning Centre and get ready for opening the Castle!
Merlin App captured: Robin, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Dunnock, Wren, Firecrest, Wood Pigeon, Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Magpie, Greenfinch, and Stock Dove.