An early morning stroll brought me towards the cliffs, passing the superb blue Bugle growing in good numbers on the terrace. Above a Chiffchaff sung loudly as did a Wren which blasted its song at me from the Wayfaring Tree.
Constant action around the cliffs with Guillemots whizzing in and out, (looking a bit like clockwork toy as they whirr),on the water more Guillemots as well as a scattering of Razorbills.
The long necked the Shags also on the water, a tinge of dark green in the sunlight, while flapping past was a Cormorant, larger and more of a blue colour, the different shape of the head also spotted as it passed.
Standing on the rocks the grey back of a Herring Gull could be seen as could a Great Black-backed Gull, which looked like it may well be sitting on a nest.
All these seabirds, plus the delicate Kittiwake (a small gull with delicately black tipped wings) and a Gannet, plus four Puffins were all seen on our ‘Seabird Boat Trip’ last night.
The Elderflowers are now starting to show, the large white heads providing a glorious smell as you walk by as does the strangely shaped flowers of Honeysuckle – both smells even stronger in the evenings.
A wonderful display of Sea Pinks (or Thrift) along the cliff tops, pink flowers on spongy soft clumps of salt tolerant leaves.
Also now the Kidney Vetch is abundant, the globule of yellow flowers beginning to cover the turf, as are the slightly darker yellow flowers of the Horseshoe Vetch, in amongst these are patches of vibrant blue, with tufts of white, of the Chalk Milkwort.
The pale pink flower of a single Bee Orchid spotted as were a couple of Common Spotted Orchids as was the pale lemon of Common Toadflax.
The fluttering past of a Painted Lady butterfly, followed by two more surprised me as I took the weather readings.