Barely a breath of wind across Durlston National Nature Reserve this morning, while the sound of birds accompanied my patrol.
Dashing from the midst of the Tamarisk hedge were a couple of bright yellowy Willow Warblers, a good view as they perched on the gently waving fronds.
On lighthouse green a Wheatear was standing, its tail bobbing as it considered its next move, which was to take flight and move a few yards further, flashing its white rump.
My bird highlight however was in field 6, where a flash of red alerted me to a gorgeous male Redstart. This bird a mixture of black, grey, buff and red feather colouration.
Overhead a scattering of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, some Linnets, Goldfinches and Siskin as well as some swooping Swallows.
Crawling across the grazed turf was a brown hairy Fox moth caterpillar, the fringe of white and black trailing across the ground.
On the ground some yellow dandelion like flowers of Mouse-eared Hawkweed content with the purple of Black Knapweed and the white of Wild Carrot and Yarrow for prominence.
Last night we had a couple of moth trappers on site, they were pleased to capture the Sombre Brocade, a speciality species of these woodlands as well as a Beautiful Gothic. Some of the other species included White Point, Brimstone, Portland Riband Wave and Black Rustic.
Along the timeline (which goes down to the Castle) a red cage has just emerged from what looks a bit like a golf ball, this strange looking fungus Clathrus ruber, will collapse very soon after emergence and has a pungent smell to attract insects to it.
Along the coast lots of Stonechats, while an Ash tree was being used by Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Great Tits and Blue Tits. The Wild Cherry was full of the chittering of Long-tailed Tits.