Beside the Learning Centre I was hit with a wonderful natural scent of Wood Sage or Flower Currant perhaps? However, I could see none of the later and the former would surely not give such a strong smell? By my return I realised it was the recently laid fresh wood-chip in the Nature Nursery play area reacting to the warmth of the sun.
A vociferous Whitethroat broadcast from Bramble whips protruding about the Blackthorn peaks. In the distant I heard a California Farm Cockerel, the cattle mooing and rock breaking in the quarry.
Within the Common Ware more Tufted Vetch and Yellow Rattle were showing flowers whilst the Cowslips, Chalk Milkwort, Creeping Buttercup, Pink Clover, Early Purple Orchids and Birds-foot Trefoil bloomed on. The later flowers were visited by a Buff Tailed Bumblebee whilst beneath a Purbeck Limestone slab active Red Meadow Ants, without pupae, were active. Near Lighthouse Rd Bridge I disturbed a Green Woodpecker which was clearly amongst the ant hills feeding!
Within the gully pointed tentacle like young leaves reached out of a Common Dock. As usual this was a good birding spot. A Goldfinch sat on a dead Elder cloaked in Old Man’s Beard which leaves were tickled by the breeze. Broken snail shells suggested previous Mistle Thrush activity, whilst feathers with broken quills suggested a Wood Pigeon had been caught by a Fox. Both Sycamore and Ash Trees exhibited their flowers whilst a Blackcap sang from the former.
Two types of butterfly were on the wing, I suspect it was a Holly Blue I saw shortly before the Early English Gentians by the Mile Marker Post.
Rolf confidently reported Adonis Blues in the gully and Orange tip which correlates with the glimpses of white and blue that passed me by! Likewise I counted at least half a dozen Swallows on the wing. Lastly Bittersweet (a member of the Nightshade family which includes potatoes) was in flower near the walling centre.