With a fresh breeze blowing in across the water it was a lovely – if a bit sunny - early morning.
Across the ground Jackdaws are pecking, perhaps making the most of the remains of yesterday evening’s flying Ant bonanza, when the air was full of clouds of these winged wonders as they took their maiden (and only) flight. In the skies were Swifts galore a good feed before their log African journey.
Perched on the cliff, as if posing for photographs, was a Peregrine Falcon, the heavily banded chest and bright yellow feet easy to see.
I was please and surprised to see a Fulmar, I thought these had gone for the summer, as I hadn’t seen any for a few weeks, but there it was, soaring magnificently towards and away from the rock face, barely a twitch as it adjusted its course.
Another perfect flier caught my eye, and a Kestrel was hovering just above, as I watched through my binoculars it stayed perfectly in the middle, a constant quivering through wings, body and tail, until it dropped quickly – hopefully to acquire breakfast of beetle or small mammal.
The fluttering of butterflies, with Lulworth Skipper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Painted Lady and a Chalkhill Blue, while the moth trap attracted Drinker, Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing, Common Footman and Jersey Tiger amongst others.
The wheezing sound of a Greenfinch turned my attention to the patch of Blackthorn and Bramble scrub, where a Common Whitethroat was perched with alongside it a young fairly speckled Stonechat. A little further away a Yellowhammer showed its glorious yellow head and the pink chest of a Bullfinch flashed.
A patch of long grass and Wild Parsnip contained a flock of Linnets, with Willow Warblers and Goldfinches, while a Meadow Pipit emerged with a loud call as Swallows swooped overhead.
Across the short ground both Burnet and Pepper Saxifrage can be spotted, while Red Bartsia and Carline Thistle are perhaps more obvious.