Durlston Castle is open again today. The Seventhwave café is also open and serving a limited menu. For more information, please call 01929 421111
Calm after the storm
The turmoil has passed us by
And we continue
I had a somewhat more mellow start to the day than yesterday but quite frankly I enjoyed the lack of excitement. Walking up to the park I heard what sounded like the trills of Swifts among the houses that lined the street. It's early for them to be back, so more likely something else, or so Katie tells me.
Elder and Blackthorn were bursting into leaf all around the park, With vivid blue Field Speedwell flowering in the Car Park verges beside Lesser Celandine. I passed through the Large Copse and down to Taskers Meadow to admire our newly repaired power lines. All three were looking tip top.
Continuing out further into the meadows a few Carrion Crows were soaring on the light breeze, cawing at each other in what I imagine for crows is a friendly manner. A Magpie perched atop a fencepost watching this spectacle in silence, perhaps embarrassed at the scene its cousins were making.
A lot of stems of Crow Garlic were sprouting from the damp ground, perhaps competing for attention with the Wild Garlic leaves growing in the Woodlands. I’m more of a Ramson man myself, but they both have their charms.
Turning left into Brian Johnson Meadow I passed what appeared to be a small stem of Charlock. As I was inspecting it the trills of a few Skylarks floated their way over to me. I continued on past the Upper Gulley, noting small groups of Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Blue Tits among the branches there.
By the Tilly Whim Caves the Guillemots had still not returned, though I did spy a pair of Adders basking in the morning sun. By their browner colouration I’d say they were females. Returning to the Learning Centre via the Diagonal Path I passed a patch of sprouting Hemp Agrimony. We’re making bold strides into spring folks.