Yesterday there was evening excitement as several Bee Eaters were seen from the Castle, Reservoir Copse and Large Copse. Such colourful birds would have been a treat to those whom saw them, I heard calls and saw silhouettes.
Upon Tilly Whim Ledge there was the debris of a party. Initially it appeared that six giant chrysalids had been strung up between the boulders. I broadcast a wake-up call to the youths below, asking them to leave with their waste. Hopefully they would not put themselves or potential rescuers at risk when they climbed back over the wall past the Danger Keep Out Sign! Gargling Guillemots had caused one youth to wake before my arrival. A good dozen Herring Gull were upon the sea along with a scatter raft of Razorbills and Guillemots. Plenty of the latter we still upon the ledge such that fourteen birds had to squeeze onto the sloping boulder surface.
At the copse-side gate, between Saxon Field and The Wares, a Wall Brown basked in the gateway. The namesake wall beside was mostly hidden in scrub. A Speckled Wood appeared on the road before the bridge where Old Man’s Beard could not colonise! In places Elder poked through the former plant on the long since hidden fence-line and showed flower buds due to open. On Reaching the bridge a Swift passed over head. A House Sparrow had been seen on the bungalow roof whilst a Blue Tit kept perching on the stone wall. One of the three nature nursery House Martin boxes had a visitor and there was nesting material therein. A Swallow skimmed over Lighthouse Green.
Another patch of Eyebright was in flower below the coastward quarry spoil heaps near the demonstration quarr. I saw Yellow Wort stems with its pairs of conjoined leaves, but not flower buds yet. A carpet of Thrift flowers was a delight to see at the gully mouth. Above beside the Lighthouse, Eastern Gladiolus were in flower too. Upon Lighthouse Green there were fresh green striated orchid rosettes, however, most leaf tips were black appearing to have been burnt perhaps by salt laden winds. I saw increased numbers of both Hay Rattle (on the downs not the meadows) and Kidney Vetch flowers peeping open.
I discovered that I could add Carrion Crow to the list of Ant Hill vandals. I saw those Red Meadow Ants that had escaped the bird’s beak scurrying around the protect their grubs and repair their “city”. Tiny unidentified Grasshopper first instars moved between the down-land sward. Two Privet Hawk moths appeared to be mating on a wall near the castle.