A persistent hum of insects greeted me all across the park this morning. Chirring grasshoppers and buzzing bees ring through the soundscape, amongst a bounty of other noisy critters; crickets, beetles, wasps, and hoverflies. The oversized pollen baskets of a White-tailed Bumbleebee catches my eye as it flies from flower to flower of Red Bartsia, determined to fill the corbicula to the absolute brim. An abundance of Gatekeeper butterflies float all around. Every so often two will connect together in orbit, dancing together as they spiral through the air.
In August the meadows begin to look weathered, with many of the earlier wildflowers and grasses gone to seed, as if baked dry by the sunshine. All of the fields are garnished with a mosaic of colour – Knapweed, Field Scabious, Wild Carrot, Restharrow, Ragwort, and Red Clover. A quick flash of an iridescent Adonis Blue Butterfly completes the spectrum.
A large charm of around two dozen Goldfinch overlook the pond, awaiting the right moment to stop for a drink of water. One by one, they flutter down from the towering Buddleia, landing delicately upon the individual strands of Meadow Grass next to the pond. The stems are just able to support their weight (of no more than about 20 grams each) and gently bob around in the steady breeze.
It’s a warm start to the day. I’m reminded of the time by my damp boots, wet from all of the dew yet to be burnt off by the midday heat. A pair of Stonechats can be heard calling ‘chak-chak’ somewhere out of sight, which draws my attention to the rich blue vista beyond Anvil Point. The lighthouse reflects a brilliant bright white, matched only by the sails of countless yachts sailing in the distance.