A hovering Kestrel welcomed me to the Park this morning, the bright chestnut back just catching the light as it flickered, the grey head was keeping perfectly still – such an amazing bird.
As I walked across the meadows clouds of Marbled Whites were in flight while others were showing well against the purple flowerhead of the Greater Knapweed.
Some great views of young birds today, proving breeding has been a success this year, with a flock of Linnets in the Honeysuckle covered Hawthorn and Goldfinches tinkling over suddenly dropping together into the patch of Woolly Thistles and Burdock. Down by the cliffs a family of Rock Pipits were flitting around while in the nearby Blackthorn scrub young Whitethroats were almost everywhere!
Out on the downs I was very pleased to see Yellowhammers, the newly fledged bird very fluffy still, while above the sound of a Skylark was adding to the call of a Chiffchaff and Bullfinch.
A wonderful display of flowers from the clambering purple Tufted Vetch, the Marjoram with a powerful aroma, the delicately scented Ladies Bedstraw and the low growing Bird’s-foot Trefoil (also known as eggs and bacon because I assume yellow and brown the colour).
Large Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Meadow Brown, Wall, Dark Green Fritillary, Ringlet and Large White just some of the other butterflies spotted, along with other insects including Six-spot Burnet moth, Soldier Beetle, Red-tailed Bumble Bee and Dark Bush-cricket.
Trotting along the path ahead of me was a young Fox, skittish as it realised I was there and disappearing into the long grass. Rabbits grazing in the same area while last night Pipistrelle Bats were flying along the open rides and halfway up a grass stem was a Glowworm, the bright green light shining brightly in the darkness.