A proper autumn morning, with the lovely jangling calls of many hundreds of Goldfinches filling the air throughout the morning rounds, as they gather into huge winter flocks.
Swallows and Martins swirl through the brightening sky, with the humid conditions meaning that there are plenty of tiny insects on which to fuel up before the long journey ahead of them.
Siskin and Redpoll are also passing overhead in large numbers, along with Meadow Pipits and unusually (for Durlston) several small flocks of Starlings.
Down on Caravan Terrace, the brilliant crimson breast of a Bullfinch leaps out among the gloom, with the high-pitched calls of Goldfinches heard from the treetops nearby, with a Firecrest eventually spotted among the group.
In the hedgerows, Long-tailed Tits bustle among the tangle of Bramble, Bryony and Old Man’s Beard, with Chiffchaffs, Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins and Blue and Great Tit also seen. In the Holm Oaks opposite the Castle, a Jay pulls acorns greedily from the branches, sending them tumbling down to the path below.
A Raven swoops low above the Observation Point, with Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon seen along the cliffs.
At sea, a few Gannets passing by – gleaming white with neat black wingtips, with Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Mediterranean Gull also seen.
Ivy blossom is still in flower, providing a welcome source of nectar for late flying insects, including lots of Ivy Bees (Colletes hedera) and Red Admiral butterflies.
Also seen this morning, a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, feeding on Red Valerian just alongside the Castle.