In June, the Elder trees blossom and are decorated with their flat sprays of fragrant cream flowers. The evergreen Holm Oaks have sprouted fresh foliage, dropping the old leaves to rustle along the pathways.
Some lovely patches of Bird’s Foot Trefoil are displayed across the grasslands, also known as ‘Eggs and Bacon’ where the yellow petals darken to hues of orange, pink, and red.
Looking closely, and an abundance of Seven-spot Ladybirds are revealed upon the flowerheads of Ox-eye Daisy, Hawksbeard, Bristly Ox-tongue, along with a pretty Hoverfly striped yellow and black.
I step into the woodland where two Speckled Wood butterflies dance around in a sunny glade. Their wings flutter as they circle one another, only allowing a brief glimpse at their delicately patterned wings.
Bumblebees hum as they collect pollen; Buff-tailed, and Common Carder identified across a mass of Creeping Buttercup and Hedge Woundwort. Stinking Iris have also flowered, deeply-veined purple petals arranged sets of three.
As I approach the clifftop, the fishy guano smell rises with the breeze; the cliff stained white where our nesting seabirds look after their eggs and chicks. Some 300 Guillemot raft across the water, black tops, with a white underside just visible like a plimsol line upon the water.
Later, a gripping but ultimately devastating story unfolds on the live camera feed, which overlooks the Guillemot cliff ledge. Two Ravens battle with the parent Guillemots, on the hunt for their freshly hatched chicks. The Ravens work together in attack: One Guillemot is repeatedly dragged sideways by the tip of its wing, whilst the other bird makes a break to grab the defenceless chick.
The Ravens are opportunist scavenger birds, which have never taken such a liking to the Guillemot chicks before. With just one chick each, and multiple losses each day, this will have a serious impact on the colony this year.