Another glorious morning to have a walk here at Durlston (or probably any area with a bit of greenness!).
The sight of Swifts zooming and sweeping through the sky - the black scimitar shapes very different to the more delicate Swallows which were also whizzing about. As I watched a dark dot hovered into view, this Skylark was singing beautifully, reeling on and on as it hung.
The meadow below awash with colour, a riot of pinks, yellows, white and blue amongst the various greens. The dominating pink is Sainfoin, yellow Bulbous Buttercup and Bird’s-foot Trefoil, white was Ox-eye Daisy and the blue the delicate Pale Flax. Other less obvious flowers within include Black Medic, Common Vetch, Goatsbeard, Daisy, Lesser Trefoil and Common Spotted Orchid now coming out in numbers.
As I wandered about looking for the tiny Early English Gentian – of which I found 4 plants, I was distracted by the delicate pink colour and shape of some Bee Orchids. Some of them have already got scorched black leaves others were pristine.
Hovering above the yellow flower of Rough Hawbit was an iridescent insect – Odenea the Thick-kneed Flower Beetle – on close inspection it should perhaps be swollen thighed, but I prefer the knee name!
The seabirds are busy crammed on the cliffs, a Great Black-backed Gull is still sitting tight on its eggs as is a Herring Gull, while the young Shags are already hatched.
On the ledge the first Guillemot chick hatched out (that I could see) on Sunday, this is the first of what I hope will be many over the coming days. See the shorts videos on our website https://www.durlston.co.uk/wildlife-and-marine-guillemots.aspx
A patch of Wild Clary growing tall alongside the short grass, while nearby Horseshoe Vetch was carpeting, a strong aroma coming off this mass of yellow flowers.