A sunny morning, with a fresh westerly breeze. Overhead, some welcome patches of blue sky, with fluffy white clouds scudding along high overhead.
Crossing the downland, the bubbling calls of Goldfinches fill the air, with a ‘charm’ of these lovely crimson and gold birds working their way along the top of the Lighthouse Field. Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, and Blackcaps skitter among the edges of the scrub, as a Kestrel quarters the air above the Lighthouse.
A riot of downland flowers are now in bloom, with heads of tall yellow Wild Parsnip bobbing in the breeze, robust, fearsome Woolly Thistles growing taller by the day, with dark purple Greater Knapweed also in full bloom. The shorter turf is studded with Stemless Thistles – a single vibrant purple flower, along with the curious bronze Carline Thistle – like a miniature art deco sculpture.
More colourful, the tangled stems and pink and white striped flowers of Restharrow, the flowing stems and pretty green-white flowers of Bastard Toadflax along with Common Toadflax, Eyebright, Centaury, Yellow-wort and Field Scabious.
In the hedgerows, Sloes are starting to ripen to a dark, dusty blue, amid a tangle of Honeysuckle, with both it’s delicious smelling orange and white flowers and translucent crimson berries. Blackberries are turning from green to red, with a lovely Comma butterfly – the edges of it’s wings a series of elegant arcs perched on a Bramble leaf.
Along the Drove, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Gatekeeper seen in just one short stretch, with a Bloody-nose Beetle lumbering along the path.
A few Gannets passing by at sea, gleaming white against a dark blue sea, with Shags and Great Black-backed Gull.