A land of cold stone
Bursts in to vivid flower
A desert in bloom
Robins, Dunnocks, Blue and Great Tits were all in hearty voice this morning as I passed the threshold and entered the park. Wasting no time I crossed South Field, heading in the vague direction of some Song Thrushes I could hear in the distance. As I crossed into Saxon Field their varied musical tones were replaced with the heckling rattling calls of a Magpie, sitting in the naked branches of a Sycamore. It eventually stopped its antisocial behaviour and fell silent, its abrasive sound replaced by the soothing trills of Skylarks.
Groundward I passed a few leaf rosettes of Early Spider Orchid before cutting across a stretch of Tor Grass. Keeping my eyes peeled I saw the spotty leaves of an emerging Early Purple Orchid, as well as a trio of Brown Mottlegills on a cow pat.
Heading downhill towards the Gulley I picked up the Butterfly Transect route and followed it above the scrubby valley. An amazing specimen of Dung Roundhead was perched prominently on another cow pat, and as I approached the base of the Tilly Whim Caves I did a double take at a Roe Deer sitting idly near the Wild Apple tree. I had almost missed it.
Ascending to the beat of a clacking Stonechat I conducted a failed survey for reptiles before regarding the Guillemot ledge. It was packed to the rafters, with a duo of Herring Gulls and trio of Razorbills joining their maritime cousins on the water. Swathes of Early Scurvy Grass were blooming along the rock faces, their attractive white flowers infusing the rocky landscape with a sense of life and vigour.
Returning to the Learning Centre I checked on the small cluster of Bracket Fungi making their living on a nearby Willow tree. Blushing Bracket and suspected Southern Bracket adorned its trunk, adding a new growth ring to their bodies for the year.