Another ’lovely’ morning! As I begin my walk, the parkrun is being set up by some of the many volunteers, ready for 100 or so people to enjoy the cliffs and woods of Durlston.
Overhead the deep croak calling of a Raven, the large black bird gliding above me. Later a super sight of a Buzzard, this bird was pale underneath but darker above and circled round in the few circles as it rose higher in the sky.
In amongst the prickly Gorse bushes a few warblers bobbed about. Chiffchaffs aften popping up to show themselves, as did the almost chestnut backed Common Whitethroat, while the greyer Lesser Whitethroat skulked lower in the scrub.
A quick glimpse of something different had me gazing at a patch of Blackthorn, creeping closer where I could to get a better more conclusive view, I was looking at a Garden Warbler – probably one of the blandest warblers with no one easy (for me) distinguishing feature.
A few butterflies to spot including the Meadow Brown all around the fields and hedges. Still a good few Painted Ladies and some Clouded Yellows providing splashes of bright orange and black and golden yellow as they bask and fly.
This year has also produced lots of Common Blues and more Brown Argus butterflies than normal, although part of the blue family they look brown!
Three large Dragonflies hawking up and down a small section of path, all looked to have blue tails and green bodies – but as they didn’t stop impossible to be sure!
Yesterday evening as the sun was setting, the Gulls were taking advantage of a plethora of insects, a flock of Herring, Black-headed, plus a Great Black-backed Gull were circling just off the cliffs catching insects in the air – quite fascinating to watch. The gulls were of various ages, but included lots of juveniles with their different brown markings.
Passing further out a couple of delicate Kittiwakes, and a massive Gannet, while I just missed the Blue-finned Tuna that was spotted leaping from the water near Tilly Whim.