As children we heard tales of magic creatures of the wood
But fey and pixies are not real, this is now understood
But still a touch of magic dwells beneath the veil of night
When summer comes the Glow-Worms shine, their bodies gleaming bright
Yesterday evening over 50 Friends of Durlston turned out for our annual summer barbecue. While eating we were visited by a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, and as I headed home after helping with the dishes I stumbled across an amazing sight, the unearthly green bioluminescence of a Glow-Worm lying in the long grass beneath a patch of Hawthorn. I was delighted.
This morning the stiff breeze from last night had not abated, and it appeared to be having a grounding effect on a lot of the birdlife. There was scarcely a flap to be seen at first, though I did catch the sound of a few Goldfinches passing overhead towards the Woodlands.
My first order of business was to check Large Copse for signs of fungi. Kevin reported finding a Rooting Shank yesterday and I was keen to turn up some finds of my own, though the best I could locate was the remains of a Dryads Saddle.
Out on the Meadows our grasses continued to brown, with dry stems of Cocksfoot and Tall Fescue both shivering in the wind. Beneath them, husks of Yellow Rattle nestled next to Common Vetch and Meadow Bindweed, also wilting in the arid conditions. By contrast the Fleabane, Knapweed and Ragwort showed no signs of suffering. Perhaps they come from hardier stock.
Further in across the Saxon Field I spotted Eyebright and Self Heal hugging low to the ground, but still little activity higher up. It was time for a change of trajectory. Crossing through Ox-Eye Daisy Field I headed down to the base of the gulley, the wind dropping off as I neared the bottom. Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown butterflies were on the wing here, with the sounds of Wren, Grasshopper Warbler and Stonechat. Further along the Butterfly Transect route a few Painted Ladies were flying, with a Common Blue resting on a small fragment of Purbeck stone.
Along the cliffs Sea Aster was blooming, with a few Woody Nightshade still in flower further towards the castle. A group of Rock Pipits tussled noisily beside the Tilly Whim Caves, lifting off from a slab of ancient wave sculpted stone and disappearing from view.