Another still, sunny start to the day with a gentle breeze wafting the glorious smell of summer meadows through the warm air.
The rich scent of flowering Honeysuckle in the hedgerows mixes with the tang of Bracken, the first flowers of Bramble, the exotic scent of Marjoram and the sickly sweet smell of Wild Parsnip.
Plenty of butterflies on the wing, including Marbled Whites in abundance, Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers along the hedgerows and in the meadows, a large and impressive Dark Green Fritillary gliding across the Gully, with Large, Small and Lulworth Skippers darting through the downland. Red Admirals bask on the Coast Path, with a Wall sunning himself at the Dry Stone Walling Centre.
Still plenty of Soldier Beetles on the wing, or lounging on the flowers of Wild Carrot, with a giant shiny black Bloody-nose Beetle lumbering across a patch of flowering Wild Thyme in the Saxon Field
Possibly the most exciting invertebrate sighting of the morning made by admin volunteer Caroline – an almost fully grown female Great Green Bush Cricket relaxing in the middle of the office floor – these giants of the undergrowth can reach 3-4” long and are among the top predators in the dense jungle of meadow flowers.
Some glorious displays of late summer flowers, including Field Scabious, Knapweed, Fleabane and Yellow Rattle in the meadows, with Squinancywort, Lady’s and Hedge Bedstraw, Eyebright and Dwarf Thistle on the downs.
Lots of grey-brown Rock Pipits skittering along the clifftop, with a pair of Stonechats hopping along the Gorse just ahead of me the other side of the Lighthouse.
The blood-curdling screeching of a Kestrel heard near the Mile Markers, with Peregrine Falcon and Buzzard also on the wing this morning.