A gorgeous morning for a patrol, the wind winding its way through the meadows, rippling the grasses as it went. Taking flight from amongst them was a Skylark, fluttering its wings to hover before rising to becoming a brown dot high in the blue sky.
Along the edges of the fields the velvety brown Ringlet butterfly was flitting, the round spots on the underside catching the light, a good view of it when it stopped perched on the long winding green stems of the new Old Man’s Beard. Also, gingery Small Skippers bouncing through the long grass, one alighting on the tall Foxtail Grass seed head.
Looking out across the meadows the round brown furry heads of Rough Hawkbit very noticeable, while the occasional pink head of Pyramidal Orchid pokes up. As July proceeds the flower-heads of the Corky-fruited Water-dropwort turn to seeds, making their name more logical as the heads begin to have a feel and look of cork.
A few moments spent watching a soaring then hovering Kestrel, the chestnut back easy to see as it turned, dipping its wings towards me.
As the purple flowers of the Greater Knapweed starts to dominate in places, perched on some, making for a lovely contrast, Marbled White butterflies, while Meadow Browns and Small Heaths are also in good numbers.
Large patches of vetches to be found across the park including the yellows of Dyer’s Greenweed, Meadow Vetch, Yellow Vetchling, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Hop Trefoil, as well as the purple Tufted Vetch and Lucerne.
Hidden amongst the grasses, except for its ears were two Roe Deer, just the occasional twitch of giving them away.
The high-pitched wheeze and reels of the Field Grasshoppers, Meadow Grasshoppers and Dark Bush-crickets caught the ear, making sure I stopped to search for and identify them.
On the cliff ledges the Guillemots are nearing the end of a successful season, with only the lower area still with chicks.