Such a pleasure to walk around Durlston on a morning like this, the wonderful sound of a Skylark filling the air as I wandered. The sound coming from somewhere above me, but despite looking I was unable to find locate it, meanwhile a second one lifted up from the meadow and joined in the chorus.
The meadows are looking magnificent at the moment with the concentration of flowers varying across the National Nature Reserve. The spikes of yellow Agrimony standing tall against the lower reddish Red Clover and Bird’s-foot Trefoil carpet, scattered amongst the deep purple of the Greater Knapweed and of the Lesser Knapweed and of the white Wild Carrot. Occasionally a pale blue Pale Flax flower can be seen but mostly it is the round seed heads of this flower that are noticeable at this time of the season.
Clambering over the hedgerow a mass of Tufted Vetch, plus Honeysuckle, Cleavers and Wild Roses.
Hovering above the fields was a Kestrel, this male may well be the parent of the recently fledged chicks that were showing so well over the weekend down by the cliffs.
In the scrub a Chiffchaff was fluttering, its movement as it hovered reminiscent of a hummingbird for a short moment. 2 Goldfinches were perched nearby as was a family of Great Tits.
A squeaking from the bushes alerted me to the Bullfinches, the male of which then turned its stunning pink breast towards me – such a smart looking bird.
On the cliffs the seabirds are coming to the end of their season, the last remaining Guillemots stragglers still on the ledges – 1 chick on the top one and 4-6 on the lower along with a number of protective adults – pop up to the Learning Centre to see them through the live camera images.
Pretending to be hidden amongst the tall grasses was a Roe Deer, watching me as I passed by, while ahead a young Fox pranced before disappearing into the grasses, just the occasional rustling movement of grass showing where this creature was walking.