Wall to wall sunshine across the Country Park once again, the sea flat clam just the occasional ripple allowing the Gannets flying some distance off to be seen fairly easily, white wings flashing as they soared.
On the cliff edge, 50 or so Jackdaws chuckled and cackled, taking flight as one large black mass. Perched on the cliff as usual was a Peregrine Falcon, its head cocked upwards as I peered down on it.
Further along, the two Great Black-backed Gull chicks and two Herring Gull chicks wandered up and down their ledges, well camouflaged against the grey rocky backdrop.
On the Blackthorn scrub inland a Stonechat ‘chatted’ the easily recognisable call bringing this orange, black and white bird to my attention, in the same area two Dunnocks and a Common Whitethroat perched.
Further along, the twittering of Linnets was emerging, their pink breast patches being shown off, as where the yellow wing flashes of the Goldfinches as they flittered through the Tamarisk.
The crashing in the bushes moved my concentration away from the butterflies and flowers and to this noise maker, which was 2 Roe Deer, one a male with splendid prongs and the other a female, both of them a gorgeous bright tan colour.
The vista across the downland is now very brown, the lack of water and the warmth has caused some of the grasses and flowers to die off, however lots of bright purple exceptions from Greater and Lesser Knapweeds and from the twisted rambles of Tufted Vetch. The paler lilac flowers of Field Scabious and Small Scabious, are contrasting with the whites of Field Bindweed and Wild Carrot and of Yarrow.
Lots of Marbled White and Meadow Brown butterflies, along with Gatekeepers and Ringlets along the hedgerows, plus both Large White and Small White and our Dorset speciality the Lulworth Skipper.
A large patch of Dyer’s Greenweed a brilliant yellow splash, with the dull red-purple almost feather like Red Bartsia alongside. Lady’s Bedstraw and Hedge Bedstraw in abundance while leaping in the grasses Field Grasshopper and Meadow Grasshopper, at the field edge a Dark Bush-cricket.