A beautiful late summer morning, with a gentle breeze rustling through dry grasses on the downs, and tracing arcs across a bright blue sea.
Down by the Lighthouse, Swallows and House and Sand Martins wheel in dizzying spirals above Lighthouse Green, chattering to each other as they hoover up tiny insects in preparation for the long journey ahead.
A Wheatear skitters along the wall near Tilly Whim, also preparing to set off, with Grey and Yellow Wagtail also passing overhead this morning.
Our bird ringers were out again this morning and also spotted or ringed a number of migrants, with highlights include large numbers of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, Spotted Flycatcher and several Robins, on holiday from Europe (larger, heavier and greyer than our native birds). A Nightjar and a Sparrowhawk also passing overhead.
A couple of visiting moth trappers were out last night, with a variety of migrant and resident moths recorded including Convolvulus Hawk-Moth and Mother of Pearl.
A few butterflies are already on the wing, including Red Admiral, Wall and Speckled Wood.
Our lovely Hereford Cattle are spending a few days in Skipworth Meadow, chewing down the new growth, before they move out to the far meadows next week.
The hedgerows are full of fruit, including Blackberries and Sloes (a brilliant year for both, perhaps a result of the dry summer?), along with the berries of Bittersweet, Bryony, Honeysuckle and Wayfaring Tree.
The plentiful supply of seeds, fruits and insects are providing plenty of food for farmland birds, with the hedges full of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Long-tailed Tits, weaving their way through an intricate maze of Old Man’s Beard. Grasshopper Warbler also seen on the downland.
Perfectly silhouetted, a Roe Deer bounds along the skyline of the downs, while in the Saxon Field, the latrines of Badgers are full of purple poo, where they have been gorging on Blackberries.