I began my patrol by spending a few minutes watching a female Roe Deer, her fur a lovely tan colour, gently browsing on the bright green leaves of a Hawthorn, on the sheltered lea side of the hedge.
The strong south-westerly wind and damp rain sent me scurrying into the woods for some shelter, here the sounds of young birds were all around, a high pitched squeaking and chattering coming form various holes, gaps and amongst the branches.
Some recently fledged Blue Tits whirred between the swaying twigs of a Small-leaved Lime, the large almost heart shaped leaves slightly sticky to touch.
A Wren was blasting its song as it perched, tail erect, in the nook of a Beech tree, as nearby a Blackbird was turning over some decaying leaves in the hope of some morsels of food.
In the copse, 10 Twayblades are still to be found, these all green orchids blending in amongst the Harts-tongue Fern, Lords and Ladies and Stinking Iris leaves. Scattered also a few Common Spotted Orchids, while the tall white umbellifers of Cow Parsley and of Rough Chervil add more to the woodland flora.
Across Durlston Bay, the loud squawky call of Sandwich Terns attracted my attention, with a bit of scanning (having removed the water from the lens of my binoculars), the bright white slightly swept back wings and streamlines shape of these breeding birds were spotted.
The delicate pink of Dog Rose flowers rambling across the hedges, while the very spiky stems of Burnet Rose are capped by perfect white flowers, whilst on the ground, a relative of these roses the Yellow Rock Rose is now to be spotted - a small yellow petalled rose-like flower!
The purple flowers of Rhododendron adds an extra splash of colour to the greenery of the woodland, these very few plants are kept in check so we can enjoy them without them taking over the area as they have in so many places.
Very slowly moving across the path was the dark metallic green blob of a Greater Bloody-nosed Beetle larva – such a strange and gorgeous creature !