Today I left learning the centre and headed down through the woods, down the zigzag and onto the beach! It’s been a quiet and cooler morning following the rain overnight. I do hope that the day brightens up a little for a butterfly transect survey later today. I spotted many different species yesterday including; Painted Lady, Peacock, Small Copper, 2 Clouded Yellow and 1 Comma.
In the woodland I passed my favourite tree at Durlston, a massive Beech which today I noticed has a Snowberry shrub growing next to it. Towards the zigzag path, the stream was trickling down through the channel and in the distance I saw a Shag flying low across the bay. This reminded me of yesterday when unexpectedly one flew right past my head on the lighthouse green!
As I made it down onto the rocky shore, I left the last of the plants behind; Red Valerian, Teasel, Ragwort and Sea Aster all growing along the mudslides. A couple of Rock Pipits jumped around playfully, and I must have accidentally disturbed a couple juvenile Common Gull’s recognised by their ‘swoon’ call, who flew out to sea ahead of me.
The calm sea lapped high up on the boulders of Purbeck Limestone meaning I only had the washed up seaweeds to investigate. Many common species were found. Reds; Irish moss, Dulse and Coral Weed. Browns; Furbelows, Oarweed and Toothed Wrack. Greens: Sea Lettuce and Velvet Horn.
The colours of seaweeds are actually indicative of where they grow on the shore. You’ll find red seaweeds at the greatest depths on the lower shore where the shorter wavelength colours (yellow – blue) can penetrate the deepest to be absorbed. The green seaweeds grow on the shallower upper shore, this allows absorption of all wavelengths of the spectrum with the exception of green which is reflected, giving it’s colour that we see.
If you are interested in shorelife and helping look after our local environment, do pop on down to the Swanage Beach Clean we have organised this Sunday at 1330, meeting outside the Bull & Boat.