Three tiny Rabbits bounding across the path was my first wildlife encounter of the morning, quickly followed by the sound of young fledged House Sparrows, Blue Tits and Great Tits all showing the breeding season is in full swing.
A glorious display in the flower meadows where the mass of yellow from Rough Hawkbit, Hay Rattle, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Black Medic is interspersed by smatterings of Ox-Eye Daisy, Pale Flax, Greater Knapweed and patches of pink Sainfoin.
Elsewhere in the meadows the triangular shaped Pyramidal Orchids are emerging providing splashes of brilliant pink, while the pale Common Spotted Orchids are still covering large areas. Every now and then the single cerise flower of Grass Vetchling can be spotted – just gorgeous.
Towards the coast a male Roe Deer seemed to be munching on the flowers and leaves of the Gladiolus, while around the corner a Rock Pipit was catching flies from its perch on a Thrift tuft.
Bobbing on the water were 105 Guillemots and 7 Razorbills, while on the ledges 200more Guillemots were busy looking after their chicks. Some of these chicks are now almost 3 weeks old so it won’t be long until they are leaving the ledges for the open sea.
Soaring past was a Cormorant, while low, skimming the water was a Shag, the comparisons between them making them easy to distinguish.
Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and a Gannet plus the Fulmars added to the interest offshore.
A golden brown Large Skipper perched on the Cocksfoot grass, flitting nearby was a Dingy Skipper, this one not at all dingy but smartly marked with oranges, off whites and browns. As I admired these butterflies the flashy green of a Thick-kneed Flower Beetle caught my attention as it and a number of others fed on the Wild Carrot flowers
As I watched a Kestrel flying across above the landslip area my eye was caught by a bird of prey moving in the opposite direction, similar delicate shape but dark backed and as it came closer the red trousers of a Hobby were obvious.