Amidst the changeable weather of the season, I was greeted this morning by bright water and a stiff breeze, the Isle of Wight resembling the backlit humps of a serpentine sea monster.
Descending through the Holm Oak woodland at the top of the Clifftop Trail, various passerine birds flit from tree to tree, with the chatter of Blue Tit, melodious song of Robin and alarm-call rattles of Wren following me throughout my walk. The sheltered conditions created by the tree cover favour shade-tolerant species including the pungent Stinking Iris and Hart’s Tongue Fern.
Emerging into more open ground, a charm of Goldfinch dip and rise across the path, likely moving between clumps of the prickly Teasel they feed on. Ahead, a solitary Jackdaw seems to enjoy the warmth of the sun from a lofty perch atop a Mile Marker, while its flockmates wheel in the breeze.
Other corvids also make an appearance, including Carrion Crow and a pair of gliding Ravens, the leading bird briefly inverting like a stunt pilot, seemingly for the simple pleasure of it.
The mixed clifftop scrub is awash with fruit, with Hawthorn and Bryony heavy with berries, as Old Man’s Beard winds its way throughout, the fluffy seedcasings of its namesake gently shivering. A flowering Common Gorse serves as a solitary spot of yellow amidst the Autumnal tones.
While scanning the cliff base for Grey Seals, I observe Rock Samphire clinging precariously to the rock ledges below. Closer to hand, Red Valerian clings to Durlston’s drystone walls, while the rapidly browning Buddleia and Bracken leave no confusion as to the season.
The striking berries of Lords and Ladies sit sheltered beneath the feathery Tamarisk, trunks twisted into sculptural forms by the ever-present coastal wind.
Climbing the path to the North of the Castle, Small White and Red Admiral butterflies dance from cover to cover in the sheltered sun trap, and on entering the Pleasure Grounds, I hear the high tones of Goldcrest up in the canopy.
Emerging onto the meadowlands above, the deep fissures carved into the soil by the summer heat remain, but the charismatic yellow flowers of Common Fleabane and Bristly Oxtongue echo the brightness of the day.