The glowing light of the moth trap meets me this morning, adding some much needed brightness to a rather overcast morning here at Durlston. The faint feel of rain is upon the wind and the blue skies we have been honoured with of late have now been covered over with a camouflage of thickset cloud. Out to sea the waves are rolling more than usual, with white meringue peaks gliding toward the east. As I look out from the top of the Lighthouse Green, I am greeted with a glorious sight, three Gannet flying in procession towards the west, each wing beat timed with one another, each adjustment of direction mirrored by the other. Whilst watching them through my binoculars another Gannet flies Eastward out to sea a little further and then another! I was being spoilt for choice.
Going back 15 minutes and I was walking toward the Large Copse, admiring the Restharrow that had climbed up the Blackthorn, whilst the ‘kissing’ sound of Blackcap deeper in the hedgerow on the Elder caught my ear. Following me along the path was a Gatekeeper butterfly, tumbling along in flight, carried by the wind. Exiting the Large Copse and I can see movement along the hedgerow and some attractive calls. It takes a while to pick them out from all the vegetation but eventually I spot some Garden Warbler’s on some Sycamore and hear a few more calling back. In the paddock next to Taskers Field, Agrimony, Wild Parsnip and Selfheal add colour whilst the brown stems of Common Spotted Orchids stand defiant.
Walking across the Downs and back to the Mile Markers the stroll is peppered with the stunning Woolly Thistle, found on chalk and limestone scrub, especially around the disturbed grounds of quarries. A scarce type of thistle with a beautiful, almost spherical, head, it attracts many kinds of insects and today I could see a number of the gloriously cinnamon orange Soldier Beetles around it.On my return to base Mike and Katie were going through the moth trap. Inside was a Garden Tiger, 2 Ruby Tigers as well as a Drinker, a Large Yellow Underwing and a Ruby Minor.