This morning brought a feast of finches, well Goldfinches at least! My biggest single count being two score flitting about which apparently can be described as a: drum; troubling; charm or chirm! With over a hundred in the sky these inevitably kept the bird ringers busy with two Redpoll and Goldcrest also being caught.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a score, or gulp of Swallows over Long Meadow whilst House Martins later joined them over Durlston bay’s wooded slopes and again later about the centre.
On the castle approach the distinctive pink miniature pumpkin fruits of a Spindle tree provided some colour. This native shrub has distinctively angular rather than round branches. Upon caravan terrace one Dogwood bush retained a head of its creamy white petals. Both shrubs provide male and female reproductive components within each flower. Dogwood branches being very straight were use as skewers, called “dogs” or “dags” by butchers hence the shrub being called “Dog – wood”! Meanwhile up the coast path another stable mate the Wayfaring Tree had but leaves and buds.
Two blue Greater periwinkle flowers crept out on the scrub grass margin about the Globe. Out of the globe walls pink / plum Valerian flowers were still to be enjoyed. Upon an ant hill crowned with red fescue grass a few Marjoram stems retained clusters of pink flowers.
About midway up an Ash tree beside Terrace Bridge a butterfly made a fleeting appearance … Red Admiral I assumed from the darkness of it. From the perimeter of the moth trap I recovered what were apparently rather tattered Black Rustics. In places Gnats flew at head height thus illustrating what the air born birds were eating. A male Blackbird, with feathers missing between its beak and eyes, picked and swallowed a Bryony berry whilst perched in a Blackthorn and ignoring its Sloes! Robins, Blackcap, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Dunnock all put in appearance at the scrub / Tamarisk margins below the globe whilst a Raven was heard cliff side and Greater Black Backed Gulls were seen heading west.