On the approach road a Jay swooped between the hedgerows either side of the road ahead of the car. My morning patrol was fortunately disrupted with a delivery of geo-grids for a new coast path surface on Peveril Downs.
My patrol went out to survey yesterday’s coast path works. Our volunteers were busy pruning Blackthorn, Tamarisk and Ivy thus reclaiming sea views, coast path and revealing dry stone walls near Durlston Head. Fortunately, some Wayfaring trees (shrubs) were spared. The flower buds look rather comical with two ear like bracts and developing flowers. I suspected we may have some good new basking sites for our Wall Lizards (sadly not today). Only the second small mammal that ran across the coast path this morning was identifiable as a Weasel with its long slender body and plain tail tip.
Our National Trust partners assisted us yesterday with tractors and trailer and half a dozen volunteers by infilling a rutted coast path with 10 tonnes of limestone. At the observation point a raft of some one hundred Guillemots had a least twenty five Razorbills amongst them. Not unusually a quartet of Fulmars rode thermals cliff side. I looked back toward Durlston Head to follow one explorer only to see a Gannet of which I spied a second one shortly after. Half a dozen Shags put in an appearance either on the water, diving or heading east. One Jackdaw was seen carrying a twigs for best building whilst a Herring Gull
Luckily I stopped just in time from picking up a dark shiny Woodpigeon dropping which I had thought was a dead beetle! Meanwhile it appeared as if Magpies laughed from the cover of the Holm Oak! I made a brief peak into the gully from where I heard the calls and songs of Chaffinches, Robins and Blackbirds. I went in search of Early English Gentians within the short turf by the mile markers but I only found Hairy Violet flowers instead. Back at the centre I heard the brush cutting action of a colleague and caught glimpses of Great Tits near the weather station. I depart to prepare for a busy day of School Discovery Sessions!