A long stroll towards the western end of Durlston, took me past the old Quarr, where, perched on the long wooden spack was a Jay, the buff pink coloured chest in stark contrast to its white rump that could be seen as it flew away, a flash of blue from its wings as it went.
The Herefords have now left the Lighthouse field for the year, leaving behind them numerous piles of cowpats, which will slowly be broken down by beetles and other invertebrates, plus hoofprints providing bare earth habitat and wet patches. Their grazing also helps encourage the low growing limestone flowers, including the vibrant blue Chalk Milkwort – which strangely I found a flowering example of on the slopes – a narrow stem with two blue flower tubes tipped in white (usually out from May!).
Within an Ivy clad Hawthorn came the sound of movement, eventually a Song Thrush appeared, a slightly dumpy thrush with a speckled pale yellow and white chest.
Nearby, perched on the long trailing ropes of Travellers Joy was Blackbird, its beak a dull black. While on the patch of bright red Black Bryony berries was a Blue Tit, until taking off with a whirr of wings to disappear amongst the Bramble scrub.
Along the coast path a Stonechat used the barbed wire of the fence as a perch, taking off, to land in the grassy hummocks before returning to its vantage point.
A patch of Gorse was covered in bright yellow flowers, while a Chaffinch was on the white branches of an Elder tree.
On the cliffs the Guillemots are once again in residence, it will be interesting to see how long the y stay, as normally they leave late morning, but yesterday for the first time since the summer, they were still on the ledges when darkness fell at 4pm.