Yesterday a baker’s dozen off us enjoyed Ted Pratts penultimate Wildflower Walk at Durlston. A simple delight for me was the Dwarf Spurge which occupied a reclaimed quarry spoil pile near the east west drove. Most of us would not have found the Twayblades hidden in reservoir copse, whilst the Dyers Green Weed and Sainfoin were visual delights.
Today near the walling centre at the Wares gateway Charlock stood taller than me and some of its tight buds had opened to reveal yellow flowers. On the inland side of Lighthouse Road ground hugging Rest Harrow showed pink flowers. On the seaward side of the road were the whorls of leaves which would eventually show Common Toadflax flowers. Whilst seeking out Early English Gentian I instead found Salad Burnet, Eyebright and Horseshoe Vetch. Ted had revealed the latter’s undulating and crescent shaped seed pods (to me like a wrinkly chilli pepper). I think it was delicate Lady’s Bedstraw upon an Ant Hill.
A predominantly black Bumblebee with an “amber” tail I discovered to be a Red-Tailed Bumble Bee. Such Bees are apparently social with workers tending the young in their subterranean nest. The sounds of a Song Thrush breaking snail shells on its anvil came from beneath Blackthorn cover.
Ascending upon an elevator of thermals a Kestrel arrived up from the gully floor only to disappear inland. Within the undisturbed sward of the Goat Plot appeared the first of several Meadow Brown. Within the “goat plot extended glade” a Marbled White rested briefly upon Thistle and Hemp Agrimony which had colonised the bare ground left by Gorse coppicing. Encroaching Bracken gave its scent to the air. Amongst the herb layer I believed a Roesel’s Bushcricket skipped past. What I noticed was the border and dark colour “armour” just behind its head. A Hoverfly visited a white Dog Rose flower on the Small Copse’s margin.
Off shore the flight of Guillemots was noted along with the reassuringly familiar arcing flight of a Fulmar.
Yesterday a baker’s dozen off us enjoyed Ted Pratts penultimate Wildflower Walk at Durlston. A simple delight for me was the Dwarf Spurge which occupied a reclaimed quarry spoil pile near the east west drove. Most of us would not have found the Twayblades hidden in reservoir copse, whilst the Dyers Green Weed and Sainfoin were visual delights.
Today near the walling centre at the Wares gateway Charlock stood taller than me and some of its tight buds had opened to reveal yellow flowers. On the inland side of Lighthouse Road ground hugging Rest Harrow showed pink flowers. On the seaward side of the road were the whorls of leaves which would eventually show Common Toadflax flowers. Whilst seeking out Early English Gentian I instead found Salad Burnet, Eyebright Horse and Horseshoe Vetch. Ted had revealed the latter’s undulating and crescent shaped seed pods (to me like a wrinkly chilli pepper). I think it was delicate Lady’s Bedstraw upon an Ant Hill.
A predominantly black Bumblebee with an “amber” tail I discovered to be a Red-Tailed Bumble Bee. Such Bees are apparently social with workers tending the young in their subterranean nest. The sounds of a Song Thrush breaking snail shells on its anvil came from beneath Blackthorn cover.
Ascending upon an elevator of thermals a Kestrel arrived up from the gully floor only to disappear inland. Within the undisturbed sward of the Goat Plot appeared the first of several Meadow Brown. Within the “goat plot extended glade” a Marbled White rested briefly upon Thistle and Hemp Agrimony which had colonised the bare ground left by Gorse coppicing. Encroaching Bracken gave its scent to the air. Amongst the herb layer I believed a Roesel’s Bushcricket skipped past. What I noticed was the border and dark colour “armour” just behind its head. A Hoverfly visited a white Dog Rose flower on the Small Copse’s margin.
Off shore the flight of Guillemots was noted along with the reassuringly familiar arcing flight of a Fulmar.
Sloes and Haws showed upon the thorny branches. They were joined by the fruits a Bryony and seeds pods of Hogweed. From my sneezing and itchy eyes there must have been grass pollen on the air!