The strong south-westerly wind had turned the moth trap upside down, but fortunately the light was still working. Still clinging to the cardboard egg cartons were a small selection of moth, which included a super Poplar Hawk-moth, a Small Elephant Hawk-moth, a Drinker and the dark brown, white and red Garden Tiger moth as well as a Lackey and a Whitepoint.
Down to the cliffs where the water was churning with white crests rolling across, bobbing in a flock were Herring Gulls, a combination of adults and juveniles squawking and calling to each other. Elegantly skimming just above the water were a couple of gleaming white Gannets, their huge wings ending with black tips. But in this wind they were struggling a little, but nothing compared with the Shags which barely seemed to be able to travel west at all.
The flowers also being blown about! Along the cliffs Wild Carrot galore, the white tops sometimes tinged with pink, with the yellow Wild Parsnip growing tall nearby while swathes of Black Knapweed providing a lovely purple.
Durlston Rock Sea Lavender, Golden Samphire and Rock Samphire on the clifftops, plus Sea Beet all have thicker salt resistant leaves. Some of the strangest flowers at present are the Broomrapes, including Carrot and Ivy, these almost look dead, but instead are parasitic so feeding on other plants, so don’t need to produce their own colour.
More flowers at ground level, such as Eyebright, Squinancywort and Wild Thyme, alongside a wonderful display of Small Scabious.
A few birds to be spotted, with a flock of Long-tailed Tits moving between the Elder and Hawthorn, their small round bodies shaded with a delicate pink. A family of Stonechats fluttering within the Blackthorn scrub, the male sporting his black head with an orange chest.
Trotting through the long grass a family of Roe Deer, which included 2 young fawns, a female and the male with a show of antlers.