Firstly, and its something I find amazing every time I arrive and park at work, are the orchids, specifically the Pyramidal Orchid, which randomly are growing on the verges by our car parks, mere feet from the tarmac. Sprouting in defiance of mans ‘goings-ons’ at ground level and above, these Orchids will appear as and where they wish, adding flares of warm magenta against the layer upon layer of green.
Today’s walk took me through Long Meadow, a walk I haven’t actually done this year on my morning patrol! Its those seabirds, I swear, that draw me to the cliffs, taking me away from other areas of the park. But today I took a lovely amble through the meadow, carefully ensuring that I wasn’t treading on anything rare. I wanted to see if I could find the hybridised Southern Marsh/Common Spotted Orchids we have here (or sub species thereof, depending on its family history!) but alas all the Common Spotted were going over, so it was hard to tell. But for some reason I was drawn to my knees to smell these plants. Not sure what pocessed me to do that, its not a usual thing I would do, perhaps I am just getting older and a drawn to fragrances. Anyway, they smelt musty, not as scented as I hoped for! A low carpet of Fleabane is in abundance, a late summer species. Dancing in the meadows were the Meadow Brown butterfly, a very active insect that doesn’t like to be approached too closely.
I take to the Victorian path and then sweep past the Castle, admiring the Valerian and Ox-eye Daisies that are adding some summer tones to the stone Castle. A Barred Dragonfly zips in front of me, but too quickly to identify. A Ringlet Butterfly sits on top of some bramble and above it on the bank, hiding from the headland wind, was the glowing orange of a Large Skipper. Standing at the Observation Point I couldn’t see a Peregrine Falcon in its usual position, that’s until I trained my spy goggles and there it was, exactly where I was looking, the grey wings of the male so wonderfully camouflaged. A Jackdaw flies past and he turns his head and watches it pass. A quick Hamish update from his morning walk: 6 Common Scoter, 1 Oystercatcher, Sandwich Terns in the Bay, 5 Sand Martins, young Linnet and Stonechat and a Dartford Warbler.