A very un-June like morning with rain and wind making it feel more like October rather than summer! The Diary starts at Long Meadow by the benches, here a Blackcap, Chaffinch, Jackdaw, Crow, Wren and Chiffchaff can be heard. As I walk on there is a longer patch of grass species that dominate this patch of the Long Meadow area, then in the meadow Ox-Eye Daisies can be spotted, as well as Buttercups (Creeping, Meadow and Bulbous), walking further the Yellow Rattle starts to take hold keeping the grasses short allowing for the Common Spotted Orchids to grow in abundance. Also seen, Red Clover and White Clover are spotted, and yellow from the Birds-foot Trefoil can be seen in patches.
To the left of me the Hedgerow through Long Meadow is also full of a variety of different flora species, Dogwood can be seen in white bloom now, Hawthorn and Blackthorn, one Blackthorn there has sloes with mosses growing on them, Field Maple, Sweet Chestnut, Pedunculate (or English) Oak trees are spotted along the hedgerow. To the ground plants such as Nettles, Stinking Iris, Horsetail and Black Medick are seen.
Birds that are sighted and heard are Robins, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon and in the distance on the other side of the road, the changing sound of a Song Thrush pleasures the sole. At the end of Long Meadow, a big Sycamore can be seen, and I head right on the track towards the woodland, to the right of me pink flowers can be seen from the French Cranesbill, the Holm Oaks start to become more dominant, and before opening a gate Hedge Woundwort can be spotted to the right.
In the Pleasure Ground woodland, I notice the Winter Heliotrope re-growing where we removed – a job for another day I thought! I take a picture of Durlston Bay looking dull and dark for June. Ground flora spotted in the woodland: Stinking Iris, Harts-tongue Fern, Nettles, Ivy, lots of Horsetail, Fuchsias species, Wild Rose, and in terms of birds, a Jay flies in front of me while 2x Herring Gulls are spotted over Durlston Bay.