Drizzle and greyness greeted me as I took a patrol around Durlston National Nature Reserve.
The high screeching call of Sandwich Terns made me look across Durlston Bay to see 3 of these elegant seabirds circling and then diving head first through the grey water in an attempt to catch fish for breakfast.
On the water nearby a dark Shag, 2 Great Black Backed Gulls and a scattering of Herring Gulls.
Towards the woodland where the gentle calling of Wood Pigeons was an almost constant theme, interspersed by the loud song of a Robin, of Blackbirds and of Dunnocks. Hidden deep in an Ivy clad stump was a Wren, heard first and then eventually seen, its short tail standing erect.
As I stood admiring the view, dripping of water droplets from the leaves of Elm fell upon me, helped by the scampering of two Grey Squirrels through the thin branches.
Along the path edges patches of Enchanter’s Nightshade are just beginning to bloom white. Nearby the pale lilac petals of Stinking Iris surrounded by its long thin smelly leaves, while the tall stemmed Cow Parsley the flowers now mostly over joins Ramsons and Three-Cornered Leek in dying back.
In the meadows the grasses were waving in the breeze while spotted amongst them a range of wildflowers including the obvious white Ox-Eye Daisy, patches of yellow from Meadow Vetchling, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Hay Rattle and Rough Hawksbeard.
Both the blue Pale Flax and the Goatsbeard were closed up, they both prefer sunshine! The Common Spotted Orchids can now be found across many of the fields providing a lovely delicate pale pinky colour.
A few shrubs to enjoy include the very prickly but white flower covered Burnet Rose, the pink flowers of Dog Rose and the gorgeous flowers of Mock Orange.