The bright blue skies dotted with fluffy white clouds drew my eyes upwards where a Swift was soaring overhead and a Green Woodpecker undulated through the air, as this large bird landed, I could see it was a recently fledged chick covered in speckled markings.
Off to the clifftops to catch a glimpse of the last remaining auks, now only visible on the water, groups of Guillemots were bobbing alongside a couple of Razorbills, still a few chicks and their parents are ensconced on the lower ledge (only visible through our remote camera).
Scanning the cliffs I was able to spot two grey Herring Gull chicks, one flapping its wings, alongside one adult and a little higher up a Great Black-backed Gull and its fluffy grey chick. A scattering of Shags on various perches including a number of youngsters.
In a patch of Hedge Mustard, amongst the cruciform yellow flowers was as Wood Pigeon, amazing how such a large bird can sit so easily on the thin stems of this flower. Just over the cliff one of the Kestrel chicks was failing to master the landing on a Blackthorn – looking like it got a thorny-spike in its toe!
Fluttering through the Greater Knapweed were Marbled White butterflies, always a wonderful sight of black, white and purple mixed together. A dull brown Lulworth Skipper amongst the Tor Grass while a brighter orange Small Skipper flitted nearby.
On the ground alongside the short Wild Thyme, Squinancywort, Ladies Bedstraw, Restharrow and Centuary, a Small Copper basked in the sunshine as did a Wall Brown.
The ‘summer’ flowers are now beginning to bloom with Golden and Rock Samphire, Sea Aster, Ploughman’s Spikenard and the Durlston Sea Lavender in flower.
On my return via the woods a flit in the Black Pines caught the eye and a Nuthatch was moving up and down the trunk and along the branches. Chiffchaffs, Common Whitethroat and Blackbirds were also active nearby.