The glorious sound of a Common Whitethroat echoing around me as I began the morning’s patrol. This recently arrived African migrant perched on the top of a Hawthorn bush, the white throat puffing out as it sang.
In the field below a thick scattering of delicate Cowslips, thousands to be admired as I wandered. Popping up as well the chunkier pinkish flowers of the Early Purple Orchid, always a lovely contrast between these spring flowers.
My attention was diverted to near the top of an Elder by the song of a Lesser Whitethroat, a more rattly sound and much greyer colouration than its commoner relative.
Along the edge of the hedgerow a blue hue for the Bluebells, their heads drooping slightly downwards, a gorgeous sight, even though we only have a few here at Durlston.
The soft furry flowers of the greenish Crosswort clumps now emerging, as are the yellow vetches of Horseshoe Vetch and Bird’s-foot Trefoil. A good opportunity to identify the differences between these two before more vetch and pea flowers arrive to cause confusion!
A flutter across the path ahead made me raise the binoculars, and having done so, a Dunnock was the culprit of my initial interest, however also on the ground were 2 Robins, 1 Greenfinch and a male and a female Cirl Bunting, all 6 birds within my view.
The tinkling of a Goldfinch as it flew overhead, this bird watched as it landed in amongst the dark yellow flowers of the Gorse, where nearby a Stonechat was also perched. The male Stonechat looking quite splendid with a thick white collar beneath the black head and above the orange chest.
On the ground much evidence of mining bees, as they leave behind their overwintering nests, and emerge from the soil, only the pile of fine soil and small hole remaining.
A Chiffchaff in song, heard as I scanned for the Skylark which was in full voice somewhere high above me.