I unpeeled the soggy pages of my note book to begin today’s diary. Outside the gutters were trickling and the drains were gargling, however, this did not put off our wildlife from going about their business of survival!
White finger wing tips were shown by one Carrion Crow in flight. Wearing an artist-like “goatee” a Tree Sparrow sang out instead from the shrub that is Blackthorn. I passed a Blackbird singing near a standing dead Silver Birch stem. Said stem had a Cinder Cap bracket fungi, which is associated with the phytophthora family of Plant Destroyers which were responsible for the Irish potato famine!
Boulders rumbled and rolled on the shoreline of Durlston Bay. Caravan Terrace Bridge led to an additional flush of Primrose flowers, Buddleia in leaf and Sallow with minute leaves opening and inflorescence beginning to show. Sycamore buds remained firm, but fresh Bramble leaves were present. I was delighted to see some progress with the Wild Service Tree buds as for several months these buds appeared frozen in time, today I saw some accompanied with bracts (flowers leaves). One had the appearance of a miniature lambs head! Near the Noon bench a Chiff Chaff was heard meanwhile a Shag flew out to sea from Durlston Head then a Great Black Backed Gull passed by.
Ten Greater Periwinkle flowers bloomed near the Globe. Off shore of this sculptural feature Guillemot flew back to the cliffs, then further investigation revealed a small flotilla of six such birds upon the sea. Two score Jackdaws flourished along the clifftops and it appeared that a good number of Herring Gulls and Greater Black Back Gulls were loitering cliff side, either perched or drifting past. Whilst I only saw three Fulmars at any one time I am certain from the flight paths that there were indeed four. As expected a larger raft of some thirty Guillemots were seen off their ledge.
I saw two separate pairs of Rabbits scarper off into cover today, two of which were at the foot of the diagonal path and left Tamarisk and Stinking Iris moving in their wake. In the gully a Kestrel flew up from the gully slope then flew in an arc to head west whilst a Stonechat called from the scrub.