Luscious fruits are autumn born
The park brings fourth its bounty
And fruits like these must too adorn
The whole of Dorset County
The feast has come so let’s be glad
The famine’s soon to follow
And so before it all turns bad
Take as much as you can swallow
I set out this morning into a cool warm day, quintessential early autumn weather, just cool enough to wear a coat comfortably. With little birdsong to greet my ears and nary a butterfly in sight I was worried that sightings might be thin on the ground. Fortunately, my favourites were out in force.
A few strides from the bollard beehive a new pair of Giant Puffballs had emerged, their abundant white flesh bulging atop the soil like a fat man sunbathing on the beach. Inside Large Copse, I spied about a half dozen of mystery fungi #1, most likely a Shaggy Parasol going by form and location but the specimens weren’t mature enough for me to be sure. Beyond in Taskers Meadow a confused selection of wildflowers were blooming in the newly resurgent grass, including Rough Hawkbit, Agrimony and a particularly baffling Meadow Buttercup. He is very fashionably late.
I called in to Centenary Meadow to check on our Hereford Cattle, counting 36 in open view. I took a quick look around and spied a freshly trampled path leading into the undergrowth along the margins. I could see the swaying branches, hear the shifting of large bodies, the rustling of foliage and then the defiant moo coming from within. For a moment I thought I was in Jurassic Park, not Durlston Country Park. In a way I was. Speaking of which, why not come on our guided walk about the geology of Durlston today at 14:30?
Crossing on to the Downlands past a few Field Scabious and endless sprawling mats of Wild Clematis I came across mystery fungi #2 growing on the base of an Elder tree. I’ll have to go out later and grab some photos. Atop the downs a Kestrel hovered flawlessly in the morning sea breeze and I spied a stray bloom of Kidney Vetch, also fashionably late. On the slope down to Lighthouse Green I looked down and saw a single Ox Eye Daisy huddling close to the ground. It had been shedding its petals, and now only two remained. A sad sight, but never forget that it was beautiful while it lasted.