It’s another dry and sunny morning; all be it a pleasant and very calm diary walk. In the Learning Centre a Wren and Wood Pigeon can be heard singing away, while Robins, a Crow, Blue Tits, and Magpies are heard calling. A Painted Lady and a Common Drone Fly is seen on an attractive Hemp-agrimony bush. Other plants noticed Ragwort, Wild Carrot, Wild Parsnip, Bristly Oxtongue, and Greater Knapweed.
Into the Lighthouse Field the English Channel looks so still and calm with the sound of a boat engine and the very slight wind hitting the sails of sailing boats. Meanwhile on land, a Pheasant is heard in the near distance, Goldfinches above, Meadow Brown spotted near Red Bartsia. Other plants spotted, Birds-foot Trefoil, Restharrow, and Lady’s Bedstraw. Head to the left of me is a Raven – I gaze my eyes down to the bottom of the gully took my binoculars, and there are five Ravens within one small area, two on what looks from the distance to be a medium sized Sycamore tree. Also observed is a Wolly Thistle, and a Wren spotted on the path then flying up into Blackthorn as it spots me.
Stopping at the gully bridge, it was so quiet this morning – compared to what it’s like in spring and early summer! That said, lots of Gatekeepers are seen flying above and resting on the Old-mans beard below, a Blue Tit is seen flying into Hawthorn, a Jay flies out of Sycamore, many Goldfinches are observed singing and seemingly squabbling in a Blackthorn higher up in the distance within Lighthouse Field, and a Chaffinch and Stonechat are both heard.
Walking away and before passing the lighthouse I look towards the fields west, around Windshield Quarry area in the distance – the landscape looks more like Spain than Green ol’ Dorset, we have had no rain this month so far!
Heading back to the office – three Perigone Falcons are spotted around the gully as well as a Lulworth Skipper resting on Golden Samphire.