A glorious spring morning, with a sky of intense blue overhead. To paraphrase “The Wind in the Willows” – spring is moving the air above and the earth below with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.
The meadows gleam in the bright morning sunshine, dusted with the first yellow Cowslips, nodding in the breeze. Overhead, Skylarks hurl their ‘careless rapture’ into the sky.
The hedgerows are starting to burst into sprays of white Blackthorn blossom, with Hawthorns covered in bright green leaves. A riot of birdsong fills the air, with Song Thrushes, Blackbirds, Blackcaps, Robins and Wrens all in good voice.
Blue Tits are making their showy display flights, with Stonechats holding forth from Gorse bushes covered in yellow flowers, filling the air with a rich scent of coconut.
A Kestrel whizzes by overhead = his chestnut brown back catching the sun, with 2 Peregrine Falcons out hunting below the Coast Path.
Near Tilly Whim, a large patch of Early Scurvy Grass is in bloom – it’s leaves contain lots of Vitamin C, so was prized by sailors, hence the name. Nearby, a Bloody-nose Beetle plods mechanically across the short turf.
The first of the Hairy Violets are scattered across the downs, with lots of Early Spider Orchids in bud (though none in bloom just yet).
On Caravan Terrace, a wonderful display of Primroses bloom at the foot of the cliff-face, with the babble of water running down the rocks. In the scrub above, a crimson-breasted Bullfinch perches among flowering Sallow, which is attracting the attention of queen Buff-tailed Bumbles Bees.7
Having gone for a walk on the Wares yesterday and spotted my first, I was delighted to see my second Wheatear of the year near the Lighthouse, strutting across the short turf in smart black and grey plumage, newly returned from Africa.