I checked upon our new arrivals, eight fresh Herford Calves and their eight mothers were released into field 3 and 3a. At this time the mother can be naturally territorial and defensive of these new born, so dog walker are asked to keep dogs on leads and avoid the youngster at this time. In the distance I spotted a surprise additional Hereford cow in Field 1!
Having seen Eyebright off site I found it here in flower near the coastal ridge. The delicate white & yellow flowers hugged what was once a Purbeck Limestone spoil pile which had also been colonised by Thistles, Plantains, Cranesbill, Moss and even one Yellow Rattle spike. However, to see the later in flower I had to wait until I passed the inland side of Lighthouse Road Bridge. Back near the ridge I noticed how five Early Purple Orchid spikes had ground up between the ground hugging branches of a Cotoneaster. Sometime from flowering were the fleshy leaves with needle like tip of Spear Thistle.
Whitethroats were the most obvious and vocal of the smaller birds today. I believe I heard three calling within one hundred metre stretch beside a dry-stone wall. Later, on the opposite side of said wall I was to see a fluttering Wall Brown butterfly. A Bullfinch with its red breast, black face mask and cap was seen briefly. A Song Thrush sang out from the upper gully.
Walking back through the meadows it looked as if a Carrion Crow deliberately flew low to scatter and group of Jackdaws and a Magpie. An early Magpie had been seen in south field its head just visible amongst the grass and Cowslips. Recently I saw a Magpie peeking at an ant hill to the causing Red Meadow Ants to scurry furiously!
Again, in the distance I suspected it was a Greater Spotted Woodpecker drumming on a post or tree. The waffle of a Green Woodpecker drifted across the landscape. I believed I heard two Pheasant cock crows one from the gully another from near the large copse.
As I write I notice we have had an excellent turn out of approximately fifty people first free Park Yoga session!