Swirling, prancing, whirling, dancing through valley, dale and canyon
The whistling winds of seas and mynds are a constant companion
Life of a kind, a stir, a change. The wind is living flux
I pray it blows the clouds away. And after: Fiat Lux!
The wildlife of Durlston was with me from the word go this morning, with Whitethroats singing through the window as I stepped out of the shower. Inside the park was no different, with my march to Large Copse attended by Lesser Whitethroat song. Ground Ivy was scattered across the grass at my feet alongside a little Birds Foot Trefoil. I passed an Elder tree in flower as I entered Boy’s Brigade field. Masts of Pale Flax, Tall Fescue and Ribwort Plantain stood above the shorter blades of grass and purple Common Vetch flowers below.
Beneath the Black Pines of Large Copse I spied a few fungi thriving in the dampness, with turgid False Turkey Tail and floppy Jelly Ear growing along the log borders. A Garlic Mustard plant stood alone to one side in defiance of both its rival species and any kind of sensible naming conventions. What a non-conformist that plant is.
Taskers Meadow was still awash with Cowslips, and as I advanced to the Saxon Field I began to notice an increasing number of Orchid Basal Rosettes. The next crop can’t be that far away. I zeroed my binoculars in on a Blackcap sitting in a patch of Hawthorn, though I was unable to make out its call. Nearby Chaffinches and Chiffchaffs proved easier to discern.
Crossing Ox Eye Daisy meadow, I made my way to the Downs. I passed a few Early Purple Orchids as well as the odd patch of Crosswort before making it to the signal station. The wind blew stiffly at the summit, catapulting a few Jackdaws over my head and inland as it gusted. After they passed, I walked on for a while in relative solitude, nothing but the wind for company.
Passing down to the Lighthouse I noted a growing presence of the blue Chalk Milkwort, as well as a little yellow Horseshoe Vetch and the odd Early Spider Orchid. A few Gladiolas were just starting to come out by the coast, their darker more violet colouration contrasting with the light pink Thrift and white Sea Aster nearby. It’s getting pretty colourful round these parts.