What a beautiful morning and we can see the sea again, woohoo!!
As I walked down to the boat trip last night a female Roe Deer was hidden in large Copse and a Tawny Owl hooted out across the woods. The boat trip was full of delights with a wonderful selection of nesting seabirds and even managing to navigate our way back through the fog.
A male Linnet was singing from a Hawthorn tree, overhead a Kestrel flew, and I lowered my gaze to take in the spectacular sight of over 100 Common Spotted Orchids. Many butterflies were out today Common Blue, Small Blue, Speckled Wood, Dingy Skipper, Small Heath, Meadow Brown and in abundance today the beautiful shimmering Adonis Blue.
Stinking Iris flowers are starting to show on the footpath edges, as well as Wild Rose and Honeysuckle. The air in the meadows was filled with the sound of Skylarks, as I listened, the light breeze swayed the grasses, birds were singing, bees buzzing and crickets chirping. A Chaffinch flew past and landed on a Buddleia, not quite in flower yet, a Meadow Pipit sat on a wall and Linnets flew overhead. Centenary is my favourite meadow at the moment, it is so vivid in colour and variety definitely worth a Saturday stroll.
The boat trip is often a good way to check on the Herefords but last night was made impossible as the fog hung around the tops of the cliffs. Walking out on the downs today Horseshoe Vetch, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Milkwort and clusters Centaury adorn the downs where newly emerged Adonis Blues flitter around. A Green Woodpecker flew up onto an Ash tree and even silhouetted its head and beak shape made it easy to identify.