Last of our kind, we stand alone, bereft of any kin
Ancient life from eras past, we have not given in
Your paltry steps upon this Earth are barely a footnote
Compared to the grand history our august family wrote
You pass us by and do not know what ancients line your trail
Primordial lords who you refer to only as “Horsetail”
I passed an Early Spider Orchid and entered the park via the woodlands today, a Lesser Whitethroat alighting in the hedgerow to my right and happily singing away as I did so. A few Three-Cornered Leek and Bluebells persisted in the dappled shade, but I failed to spot any interesting fungi.
The Car Park proved more richly endowed with wildlife, the verges strewn with a rich medley of wildflowers. Common Vetch rose high in the areas untouched by the mower, with fresh Bulbous Buttercups and Lawn Daises in the trimmed areas. Ground Ivy skulked under scrub cover and the pavement margins held small colonies of Forget-Me-Not and Scarlet Pimpernel. A few Chaffinches milled about and I spied a pair of Rob-Rob-Robins a bob-bob-bobbin along. A Great Tit was performing its squeaky wheelbarrow song and I spotted a Grey Squirrel leap from Sycamore to Bay Tree in the nearby woods.
Dropping down to the Clifftops I passed a group of unassuming Horsetails. This species is the last of its family and dates back to the Palaeozoic era, where it was one of the dominant vascular plants. Its so old it reproduces with spores. I find these living fossils fascinating. I wish we had a Ginkgo here.
Stems of Red Valerian clung to the walls, with Woody Nightshade, Charlock and a few remaining Great Periwinkle also in flower. A birdwatcher I encountered reported a Kestrel, Swift, a few Swallows, Whitethroats and Fulmars out and about. I can add some parachuting Rock Pipits, 122 Guillemots (on the water) and a Blackcap or two to that roster.
Looping back via one of the butterfly transect routes, I took in my share of Durlston’s invertebrate population. A pair of Rose Chafer beetles were enjoying the pleasures of May together on a leaf, with Adonis Blue, Small Blue and what looked rather like a Small Copper on the wing.