A visitor reported a Ring Ouzel in the gully with photographic evidence! Upon entering the wares, I was greeted by the sight of Cowslip flowers or “Primroses upon stilts”! As become my habit a visit to John & Pat’s bench was finally rewarded with a two “local” Early Spider Orchid flowers upon separate plants. At this “reclaimed” quarry spoil pile I had to take care not to step on those Orchids which had not opened.
A quartet of white sea birds with black tipped wings were clearly Gannets. They flew close to shore, low over the water and headed east. They were shortly followed by another pair and later a quartet again, perhaps the same group circling or more heading towards the Solent for breakfast? Meanwhile, Guillemots were packed into the cave ledge such that six had to cling to the sloping rock surface. Upon the water below were one hundred and fifty of the sea birds amongst which were at least fifteen Razorbills. A pair of Great Black Back Gulls perched above and seaward of the Guillemot colony. At Tilly Whim’s wave cut platform a Rock Dove stood on the edge to be passed by one of the Fulmars. It flew against the general eastward flow of Herring Gulls. Of two Shags seen one carried a streamer of seaweed in its beak. Presumably this was nesting material as was the dry grass collected by Jackdaws from the gully and cliff top slopes.
At the Gully Mouth the small white flowers of Common Scurvy Grass had begun to open and were also seen on the cliff edge below the lighthouse. Whilst Sea Campion bloomed near Tilly Whim the clump near the Lighthouse and Marine Project boundary marker was a long way off doing so. Cushions of Thrift rosettes clung to rocky surfaces. A yet unidentified Sedge showed its delicate flowers near the Mile Markers. Bluebells flowered amongst taller grass on the seaward edge of Lighthouse Green.
As I walked towards Lighthouse Bridge a Chiff Chaff called out. Old Man’s Beard creepers already spread over scrub and the fence. Its developing leaf cover would soon hide and shade all underneath with a little help from Honeysuckle. The bridge Pear Tree had some blossom open as well of plenty of pearl like buds. It was visited by a Chaffinch briefly. Further up slope Apple Trees were behind the Pear’s bloom, but an Apple showed leaves which curled like a cheeky child’s tongue. Dry stems of Teasel and Burdock suggested last years seed had been dispersed.