A much cooler start to the day, with some drizzle as I arrived at the park. Setting out I saw one a juvenile Magpie, still with short stubby tail feathers and looking very fresh. A Robin then perched on the wall and cocked his head at me in a quizzical manner, as I wondered if he was the father of one of the nests around the park.
I mooched through the flower meadows, again hugely enjoying the spectacle of the blazing colours, shapes and textures. Having been away for ten days I am amazed at the changes throughout the park, one being the Agrimony that has sprung up in abundance. The Red Clover and Pale Flax in particular stood out to me, with a pair of Soldier Beetles enjoying a cuddle on a grass stem.
A lone Crow passed by overhead, no doubt keeping an eye out for any trouble. In the distance a Skylark was trilling away and the sound of a Donkey braying reached me from the Swanage direction.
Down at the gully a chorus of birdsong greeted my ears, although I was unable to distinguish any in particular other than a Yellowhammer and Stonechat.
The busiest section this morning turned out to be behind the lighthouse, where as I walked through the longer grass I spotted Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and numerous Marbled White butterflies. At the same time I also saw several unidentified Crickets and Hoverflies, as well as plenty of resplendent Orchids. Along the clifftop I was met with a pair of Herring Gulls, whilst a trio of Guillemots scooted along the wavetops. On the path was new ‘mini molehills’, made by Solitary Mining Bees.
Down near the Globe I checked to see if I could find the Ruby-tailed Wasp snapped yesterday by resident artist Rolf, but no luck other than a Buff-tailed Bumblebee warming up in the patchy sunshine.
One last spot for the morning was a gorgeous Magpie Moth Abraxas grossulariata which did not stay still quite long enough for me to get a decent photo – typical!
Today's diary written by Mike