Moon half empty? Moon half full? Which phrase is more correct?
Waxing, waning, filling, draining. Does it change with each effect?
A full moon’s full that is for sure, but what about one that’s new?
Empty? Void? Moon undeployed? I haven’t got a clue!
I made my way up to Durlston under a rapidly changing skyscape this morning. The brisk winds created a rapidly evolving ecosystem of clouds and I had to duck under cover from a few fleeting showers. The shifting cover offered fleeting glimpses of the moon, in its third quarter and almost a perfect half. Passing the Pumping Station a pair of Roe Deer loped away into the gloom, their breakfast interrupted.
The Woodlands were showing even more signs of fresh greenery, with shoots of Spring Crocus, Daffodil, Jack-in-the-Pulpit and what looked like Three Cornered Leek bursting forth from the mud. There was also a small surge in fungi since my last visit. In addition to the abundant Golden Ear Fungi parasitizing on Hairy Stearum I spied the surprising rouge blush of a Red Cage Fungus, as well as a hearty patch of Sulphur Tuft and a few blooms of Rosy Crust. After noting a hearty patch of Tamarisk Moss residing on a dry stone wall, I moved on towards the Castle.
Chaffinches and Wrens darted about the Car Park as I made my way down to Caravan Terrace, the soft calls of unseen Bullfinches sounding seemingly from all directions. Sea Beet and Wild Carrot garnished the ground around the Great Globe with a few Common Groundsel spotted in between.
I headed back up the hill via the Castle Woods, my heart sinking as I saw what the latest round of heavy rain had done to the path surface. Now is the winter of our discontent. Swallowing my frustration I soldiered on uphill, the overhead passage of a Raven announced by a series of deep croaks coming from above the canopy.
I finished up with a short outing onto the Meadows, which revealed my final fungi spot of the morning. Cheilymenia fimicola dusted a few cow pats with orange spots amid the sodden grass. I also did another moss inspection, revealing Bird-Claw Beard Moss and Grey-cushioned Grimmia. I’m really getting the feeling of opening up a can of worms here.