A brilliant sunny start to the morning with flowers and birdsong galore.
The meadows are awash with Cowslips, a fantastic yellow hue across them when viewed from afar, and on close inspection the beauty of the Cowslip flower can be admired.
Some of the other flowers to discover include Adder's Tongue Fern, Chalk Milkwort, Wild Clary, Salad Burnet and the furry Crosswort. The 3 spring orchids all now in flower – the Early Purple, Early Spider and Green-winged Orchids. – to find out more join the guided walk this afternoon.
From the middle of a large piece of Blackthorn came the fluty song of a Nightingale, the first for the year, the sound filling the air for a short burst.
From the other side of scrub a Garden Warbler was adding its song, but not making quite the same impression. The reeling of a Grasshopper Warbler and the scratchy song of a Common Whitethroat added to the warbler cacophony as did Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.
Near the gully a stunning male Stonechat was flitting from bush to rock and back again, flashing his white wings bars and collar, while towards the western end of the park two of its close relative, the Whinchat, were spotted amongst the Gorse. On scanning the scrubline a Yellowhammer was spotted as was a Redstart and again near the gully a Black Redstart. Swooping in were lots of Swallows, their long tails and dark blue colour gleaming in the sunlight, every now and then a white rumped House Martin also came by as did a Sand Martin.
Perched on the top of a blossoming Wild Apple tree were 2 Wheatears, the male looking especially smart, on the next branch a Great Tit sung one of its many different calls.
Basking on the bare earth was a Wall Brown butterfly, and in flight Speckled Woods and Holly Blues.
St Mark’s Flies have emerged, these large black flies with dangly legs floating in the sky, while the two species of Beefly and Bloody-nosed Beetles both in evidence as was the Hairy-footed Flower Beetle.