The sea covered with white crests making for a lovely sight this morning, as I searched through my binoculars a couple a glorious white winged Gannets glided into view, as well as a few Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls. A Shag then sped by close to the rocks.
In Durlston Bay a few Black-headed Gulls, and for a moment, I thought, a glimpse of a Seal, but no, actually a black buoy marking a lobster or crab pot!! - an easy mistake to make as they bob up and down.
Wild Carrot everywhere as I walk towards the clifftops, the white round umbel topping rough hairy stems and some frond like leaves.
Patches a pink Restharrow amongst the whiteish Squinancywort, while brilliant purple heads of the Stemless Thistle poke up from the ground – beware if you sit as these prickly flowers go by another name of Picnic Thistle – ready to catch out the unwary!
Overhead a few Sand Martins sweeping around the skies, their dark collar visible as they flew, also up high the scimitar shaped Swifts.
Taking flight from the Tamarisk which borders the edge, a whirr of Silver-y wings, this moth has a distinct (if you look closely) “y” shaped pattern on its wings.
Sipping nectar through its proboscis, from a flower of the Field Bindweed, was a Lulworth Skipper, as if fed I was able to admire the crescent shape on its dull golden wings.
The tall stems of Black Mustard, some topped with yellow flowers, some now turning to seed, alongside the yellows of the Bristly Ox-tongue and of Smooth Sow Thistle add to the interest as do the strange compact flowers of the Ploughman’s Spikenard.
The chirring from the grassy banks of Meadow Grasshopper was accompanied by the chattering of Stonechats, Long-tailed Tits and the twitter of Linnets.
As darkness fell last night, a Tawny Owl wafted by, Pipistrelle Bats were a flutter and on the ground the amazing sight of fluorescent green of a Glowworm – just magic!