Well a rather windy and overcast start, although the sun has since risen for you! Gusts of 42 mph hit just before 6 am this morning and I had to take 2 measures of the rainfall coming in at 14.4 mm! Despite the wind up to six Rabbits raced across the grass for cover. From the swaying canopies of the Sycamore, Ash and Holm Oak of the Small Copse appear two Jackdaws.
Whilst there were no insects and few birds to be seen I delighted at the occasional flower head. Beside the diagonal path the yellow Gorse flower brought some colour. On Lighthouse Green a solitary Yellow Wort spike had flowers that appeared yet to fully open! Toadflax’s pale yellow trumpet flowers were seen as was the aptly named Red Clover. Even the odd Honeysuckle flowers was to be seen.
I had chosen to skirt around the inland side of the Lighthouse complex. No birds on the wires but clearly the cables swayed as the wind whistled through. Although I took care descending the western slope of the gully mouth I manage to slip on the rock outcrop landing on that which could take the impact! Below I heard the rumble of waves and saw them and crashed into the Portland Stone. The higher ledges were sprayed, creating salty waterfalls. Occasionally the blow hole gave a steamy vent. A Kestrel performed a crescent flight path at the gully mouth however, the two birds it pursued escaped. From further inland within the gully the call of a Green Woodpecker vocalised.
Two Shag headed west as did a solo Herring Gull, however, five of latter then flew west. At the Ron Rest bench a flock of ten Goldfinches passed overhead then the sun shone down up us! I ventured back through the castle woodland upon a dark green carpet of Ivy occasional punctuated by lighter greens of Harts Tongue Fern and Stinking Iris. A quartet of large Holm Oak stems had long since split out from its trunk. The stems splayed out across the ground with straight vibrant growth skywards despite having split from the trunk. An orangey / brown moss covered the upper surface.
Great Tits visited the castle bird feeder whilst some eighty Black Headed Gulls congregated on Durlston Bay’s rocky shoreline.