July started drier than June ended! It meant that some six Marbled Whites, two Meadow Browns and a Small Skipper were on the wing. However, most of these butterflies were ground clinging today.
There was activity amongst both Kestrels and the Peregrine Falcons. Four young Kestrels were seen about the observation point undertaking learning flights. They were soon hidden once they landed amongst the short cliff top grassland. One Kestrel had been active near the Mile Markers and later hovering near the Small Copse. It was a lone Peregrine Falcon’s role to perform a cliff top fly by. The bird flew west, performed a “loop the loop”, continued west until it looped to return.
An empty Guillemot cave ledge had a raft of sea birds upon the sea below it. Whilst some fifteen Razorbills were found amongst the raft even those with superb optics had been unable to see any chicks upon the sea. Two Herring Gulls sat on the edge of Tilly Whim wave cut platform. Another half dozen Herring Gull snuggled into individual pockets on the cliff face. A Great Black Back Gull occupied a usual perch above the seabird cave. Surprisingly high up the cliff face near it were a pair of Shags.
One cliff top Teasel stem had three heads only one which had petals, even this was balding from its crown. Almost overlooked were flowering succulents Golden Samphire and Rock Samphire. These were just over the coastal dry-stone wall below the globe. They benefited from some protection from the Tamarisk. Nearby there were a few surprise Sea Campion blooms. Tiny acorns had begun to form on a Holm Oak at Durlston Head. Obviously named Curled Dock had tall spiked flower stems. Beside the Reynolds bench one of a pair of Blue Tits visited a tall Sow Thistle to relieve it of some seeds. Downslope a Creeping Thistle stood with waxy wavy edge leaves and held attractive pink / lilac florets. White four petal flowers with yellow eye lash stamen dangled of the dry-stone wall from Old Man’s Beard. Two St. John’s Wort plants held yellow flowers at caravan terrace. At the tip of Wild Rose, stem where a flower should have been, a ping pong sized afro-like burr that weighed down the stalk. Elsewhere a Gall Wasp must have penetrated a flower bud which in turn created this “isolation facility” or Pin Cushion Gall. Beside castle approach Bay Laurel showed fading flowers and developing fruits. Spindle also displayed it unusual four segment fruits.