Dare I say it? Is summer here? Glancing at the thermometer the temperature outside is now 23 Degree’s, which is quite admirable considering its just pushing towards 9am! The sky is an open blue and far out to sea, on the horizon, shipping containers pepper the view, whilst in the foreground a Potting Boat chugs past the Lighthouse heading toward Durlston Head. Jackdaws sweep through the Gully and Herring Gulls noisily chatter in their family mobs.
At the back of the Visitors Centre I thought the bird ringers were back in as this clear resonating call floats across the Wildlife Garden but with no nets up as evidence that the ringers were in I know this must be a Mistle Thrush on its perch, the cascading trills and notes, the variety of fluctuations, it was singing from the whole chorus sheet, a beautiful sound on the morning ear. And there it was, nestled midway up, its cream chest peppered with deep chestnut brown spots. What a beauty!
With such a glorious morning comes my favourite insect, the Butterfly. And what a show they are putting on, the tumbly flight of the Gatekeeper, the strong, directional flight of Meadow Browns, the bumbly Small Skipper, its flight low to the ground, darting above the grasses, flowers and sedges, meeting with other Small Skippers, where an aerial embrace occurs, the two of them dancing around each other, before they part company and both continue with their course. One butterfly that is looking fantastic at this time of year is the Marbled White, quite a stunner really, all fresh and chequerboard rich, glistening in the meadows against the multicoloured background whilst the Six Spot Burnet Moth hovers, its wings a blur of motion, as it goes from Selfheal to Field Scabious.
Bunches of Lady’s Bedstraw show a vivid yellow, its history being that it was used for sleeping on, before the invention of the modern mattress, making for soft and springy bedding, emitting a pleasant scent like that of hay when dried. Yellowrattle, Agrimony, Restharrow, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Clover, Wild Carrot, Knapweed, Oxeye Daisy and Bindweed add layers of colour, a summer palette of tones to please both human and insect.