A slightly cooler morning thanks to a little more cloud and a breeze!
I briefly spoke with Ann whom had done an early Dolphin Watch whom had seen four Razor Bills amongst two hundred Guillemot as well as some thirty Feral Pigeon and twenty Jackdaw.
I also spoke with Harry whom helped me to find one of the two Bee Orchids which Judith discovered at the lowest corner of Long Meadow. As with elsewhere the flowers were all but gone over but most interestingly at their bases there were swollen pods presumably developing seeds. Long Meadow had a good variety of flowers in a sward general at knee height (remember this is hay cut only with no grazing!) including: Red and White Clovers, Agrimony, clumps of Horse Shoe Vetch, Pale Flax, Corky Fruited Water Dropwort, Tufted Vetch, Rough Hawksbit and of course the “conker heads” of Plantain and plenty of hay fever inducing grass seed! I heard the longer striations of bush crickets and short rasps of grasshoppers.
Whilst half of the overflow car park grass had been cut it still attracted an inquisitive Meadow Brown. Gate Keepers, Speckled Wood, Small Skipper and a Ringlet also put in an appearance. Within the depths of the meadow I spied a funnel web nearly fifteen centimetres in diameter. Upon investigation a spider with yellow tipped pals disappeared down the funnel. Later I was surprised to see a hunting Wolf Spider upon a web. Blowing upon the web revealed spider mites therein confirming this being a nursery tent web!
Within the dappled shade of the Aviaries the coast path was hidden beneath a layer of Holm Oak leaves whilst apples the size of cherries then plums had developed on two different trees.
Upon a white flower of the Mock Orange beside the castle I saw my second Red Admiral off the day. Both Buddleia and Valerian had now come into flower but no butterflies there on. Upon the terrace Gorse seeds popped to trigger by passing insects. Delicate white flowers were upon the woodland species, Enchanters Nightshade on Terrace Bridge.
Katie reported a Lulworth Skipper upon the coast path.