On my drive up the approach road Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Woodpigeons and a Green Woodpecker moved aside, however, the recently fallen Black Pine cones were crunched beneath my wheels.
Yesterday we had a Wall Lizard upon the timeline. I also had an abundance of freshly emerged Six Spot Burnet Moths in Smithfield, some went straight to mating. This morning I saw two such day flying moths, however, one had yet to fully extent its wings. I had been looking at the Ragwort status as we have Beechencliff School coming to give some practical volunteer time with us next week. Fortunately, the recent cattle grazing in Saxon Field has opened up light knee high scrub which can be cleared as we the vegetation does not support birds nest.
Unfortunately, tide and weather conditions are such that this afternoon Dolphin Watchers 30th Anniversary Boat Trip has been rescheduled. At the head of the timeline the wind has shaken many Holm Oak flowers from the trees to carpet the floor, along with the evergreen leaves!
I spent some time near the Bus Stop hoping to discover which bird might be nesting in a Crack Willow stem. Yesterday, I heard what I thought were chicks in a nest hole. However, the “simmering” sound might have been insects or indeed bats. Whilst I had several encounters with a Green Woodpecker I failed to see it visit the nest hole. It is a tree which had several limbs removed from it as they have split in the wind and as it leans road wards one day we will have to fell it safely.
In Boys Brigade there were several two Common Spotted Orchid stems which were at least 12 inches tall and their flower spikes some 4 inches long! At the top of Taskers path, the long reaching Ash branches wriggled in the wind like the arms of Roger Hargreave’s “MR Tickle”. In the lowest pit of the Hay Rake Quarr one Bee Orchid stem still had three flowers! Windblown misty rain hit me upon the wares. A pair of Carrion Crows flew silently in the lea of Small Copse. A Jackdaw score were away from the cliff tops as were a few Herring Gull this morning. This mist had swallowed St. Albans Head but I did have views to Ballard Down for a while.
All are welcome to the Friends of Durlston Quiz night this Friday at Swanage Conservative Club 19:30. Excellent Raffle prices have been donated by: Purbeck Footprints; Durlston; The Body; Seventhwave; Wimpy; G Whites; Elizabeth’s;The Salt Pig; Bloom Floristry; The Fish Place; Brook Tea Rooms; Fortes; Nixon’s Vineyard; Harry Ramsdens and Chococo. So support the park and maybe win a bargain!