The change in the weather to dull and slightly damp made for a much more ‘autumnal’ feel to life. Sliding across the path taking advantage of the damp were snails, Garden, Trapdoor, Yellow-lipped and Brown-Lipped plus the upright spiral snail Cochella acuta
The twittering of the Linnet family, combined with the chatting of the Stonechats and the squeaky wheeze of the Bullfinch as I walked near the gully, all popping their heads out to let me have a good view as well as hear these resident breeders. Blackbird, Song Thrush, Great Tits and Blue Tits also in the same area and a couple of huge Wood Pigeons clapped as they took flight.
Down by the sea the pathetic high-pitched cry of a young Herring Gull was being ignored (it seemed) by its parent, flying above was a Great Black-backed Gull, unusually with white spots on each wing – probably in partial moult after the breeding season.
A flash of white out to sea turned out to be a diving Gannet, a splash then this huge seabird was bobbing on the water enabling me to have a good look at its pale yellow head.
The cliff flowers are providing lots of yellow, with the Golden Samphire now in full bloom, yesterday it was covered in Painted Ladies (15 recorded on the butterfly transect).
The small tight flowerheads of Ploughman’s Spikenard showing tuft of yellow, Bristly Ox-tongue a mass of flowers while on the cliff the greenish Rock Samphire.
Durlston’s own speciality the Rock Sea Lavender can be found, using binoculars, on the cliff edge with the strange golden flower of Carline Thistle shining brightly from the downland turf.
When the sun emerges so will the insects, yesterday Chalkhill Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus and Small Blue butterflies were all seen, as well as Lulworth and Small Skippers, and the delightful Small Copper.
Orthoptera included the 3” long Great Green Bush-cricket , Dark Bush-cricket, Grey Bush-cricket and Roesel’s Bush-cricket as well as Long-winged Conehead, Field Grasshopper, Stripe-winged Grasshopper, Common Green Grasshopper ands the most numerous Meadow Grasshopper.