Today I came to Durlston underneath a clear blue sky
Chaffinch, Goldfinch, both were heard while Robins flew on by
Dogwood flowers bloomed bright and white, beside the Blackthorns blossom
The Meadows too bore flowers galore, while Rabbits ran across em.
Cowslips, Violets, Orchids too, of Early Purple and Spider
Beneath their spears and ripened leaves, Common Spotted spread theirs wider
By tarmac, pavement, grassy verge, life was no less profuse
With Scarlet Pimpernel and Common Groundsel on the loose
Beyond towards the Downland sounds abundant from all spheres
The diverse repertoire of dappled Song Thrush slowly nears
With hidden Pheasant (likely Hen) and collared Stonechats too
And Bumble Bees and Tits in trees of flavours Great and Blue.
A bird so long sought after proved evasive yet again
Failure this day like times before I must accept I fain
Still beautiful these rolling hills, I’ve held them long in fellow
Though lacking hammers I must say they’re not devoid of yellow
Hills and grass give way to cliffs and gently rolling swell
And birds that sing and parachute, here our Rock Pippits dwell
And on the water Guillemots and some few Razorbills
And under them their swimming lunch adorned with scales and gills
A final musing, if you’ll indulge, today I mostly hearkened
I sought the birds by sound, not sight, it seems this sense has sharpened
Eyes were used, but to confirm, first sought always by sound
Before this day I had not sensed this change had come around
Gradual, gradual, inch by inch from eye to ear I moved
Not that one had atrophied, but rather, one improved
A subtle change, done by degree, so small it went unseen
One note, one of many, one of more I ween