morning and barely a cloud to interrupt the view of the bright blue sky. Dotted against the blue was a Skylark, this small brown bird was hovering while emitting a steady blast of delightful song.
As I listened the urgent chatter of young birds alerted me to a family of seven Great Tits moving in the shrubby Gorse, these new fledglings with dusky yellow feathers on their faces.
Crawling across the dry mud path was a long thin and hairy Lackey moth caterpillar with pale blue stripes, very different to the yellow and black caterpillar of the day flying Six-spot Burnet moths hundreds of which are flying across the meadows.
A good selection of butterflies to see including Marbled White, Small Heath, Small and Large Skipper and yesterday saw our first Dark Green Fritillary of the year (that has been reported to us).
Along the cliffs a Rock Pipit was noisily proclaiming its territory, fluttering around the same area giving me a great chance to study it, but I was then distracted by a flock of flittering Goldfinches and the call of a family of Stonechats.
A further movement spotted as a bright green Thick-kneed Flower Beetle alighted on the pale yellow flower of a Bristly Ox-tongue.
Checking on the cattle, who have almost finished grazing Field 3A, and are about ready to move to a new field, provided the chance to watch a Peregrine Falcon slowly floating overhead, then doubling back lower. 4 of these majestic birds were seen last night on our guided Seabird Boat Trip.
The trip was fantastic with flat seas allowing really good views of Kittiwake, Fulmar, Shags, Cormorants, Gulls, Razorbills, Guillemots and Puffins, along with Swifts and House Martins. Last trip next Friday.
On returning to the centre a quick glimpse in the moth trap saw Elephant Hawkmoth, Small Elephant Hawkmoth, Heart and Dart, Heart and Club, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Chinese Character, Brussels Lace, Large Yellow Underwing, and many more…