A glorious spring morning, with not a cloud in the sky and already feeling pleasantly warm even before 9am.
As I walked up from Swanage on the way in, a few Swifts veer in screeching arcs over my head, with a Swallow also seen over Peveril Point.
After the winter tree work, the woodland floor is carpeted with flowers. The white, star-like flowers and broad green leaves of Ramsons jostle for space with Three-cornered Leek, flowering Cow Parsley, pink-flowered Herb Robert and dense stands of young Wild Privet and Elm.
Speckled Woods dance in the sunny glades and rides, while the Aviary Glade is studded with constellations of Lesser Celandine.
Although the Early Spider Orchids are now pretty much finished, still plenty of Green-winged and Early Purple Orchids to see, with my first flowering Common Spotted Orchid of the year – it’s buds just starting to open. The strange green Twayblade orchid also in flower beneath the shade of a Holm Oak.
On the short turf of the downs, a dense patch of Small-flowered Buttercup catches my eye – you really need to get down on your hands and knees to recognise this as a buttercup! It’s much larger relative, Bulbous Buttercup is also in bloom in the meadows.
Elsewhere on the downland, some nice patches of Crosswort in bloom (it’s leaves arranged in a ‘plus’ shape around the stem), with tall blue Wild Clary and electric blue Milkwort among the other goodies!
A Wall butterfly basks in the shelter of an old quarry hollow, with Red Admirals, Dingy Skippers and Small Blue also seen on the wing.
Along the cliffs, Guillemots and Razorbills bob on the sparkling waves, with Fulmars, Shags and Great Black-backed Gulls above them. A Peregrine Falcon perches like a statue below the Observation Point.