Walking out towards the downland (where I was going to look at one of our gates) took me a long time this morning, as I had to keep stopping to look at birds as they flitted by, landing amongst the branches and leaves of the Blackthorn, Gorse, Hawthorn scrub and the tangle of Old Man’s Beard ropes.
A flash of white was a Common Whitethroat, the greenish yellow a Chiffchaff and a little time later Willow Warbler. A Blackcap sat atop the Elder while below Robin, Blue Tits and a very fluffy recently fledged Great Tit.
Looping across the sky was a Bullfinch, a brilliant pink belly spotted and then more time to admire as it landed, while tinkling all around were 20+ Goldfinches flashing bright gold as they moved.
All 3 of our aerial supreme fliers out early today with a Sand Martin, Swallow and 3 Swifts all spotted zooming across the almost cloudless blue sky.
Back through the meadows and the buzz of insects evident, with the black and white flashes of Marbled White butterflies alongside the two-tone brown of both Meadow Browns and the more prevalent Gatekeepers.
Perched on the top of the pale pink flower of a Bramble was a Common Blue butterfly with just next to it an Adonis Blue, both a bit faded so a bit of time spent just checking my identification.
The magnificent Woolly Thistles are providing a deep purple flower to enjoy, the concentric circles of their head just itching to be stroked – but beware they are very prickly!
Across the fields, swathes of Greater Knapweed and Wild Carrot, with Red Bartsia, Restharrow, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Hop Trefoil all providing colour and nectar lower to the ground.
Taking off from the grasses 3 Skylarks, hopefully indicating the successful rearing of chicks, potentially a second brood.
Crawling on the lilac coloured flower of a Small Scabious was as Lulworth Skipper, it’s golden crescent catching the sunlight, while on another flower was a orange and black Soldier Beetle.
Garden Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler also noted today