Chiffchaffs chirp and a Swift flutters by as I step through the woodland to the Isle of Wight road. It’s a bright sunny morning with the silhouette of the island on the horizon, beyond a bright blue sea. Woodpigeons and Herring Gulls pass by and fishing trawler makes its way South across the bay.
A Meadow Brown butterfly is already enjoying the balmy morning temps of 20°C as it flits between the towering grasses and Bracken. Competing for sunlight, even the Fleabane has reached 3’ tall.
Further through the woodland, a Buff-tailed and Early Bumblebee buzz around a display of June woodland flowers; crimson Hedge Woundwort, purple Bittersweet, and yellow Wood Avens. Also the particularly ornate flowers of Stinking Iris whose petals and tepals are arranged in threes – the tepals arching up, and the petals drooping down.
A beautiful display of large white flowers now adorns the Mock Orange by the Dell. Yesterday our Tuesday volunteers battled through 5’ tall Wood Dock and Willow-herb to weed around the plantings here. Flower buds have now formed on the Deutzia and Hydrangea, whilst the Fuchsia are already spotted with their showy pendulous flowers.
Sunny yellow blooms of Wild Mustard line the descent to the Globe. These flowers, alongside the cheery Ox-eye Daisies, will forever remind me of my wedding here - one year ago this week.
The water is calm below the sea cliffs, so you can hear the patter of Guillemots preening themselves on the water. Fulmars loops to and from the cliffs where Jackdaws squeak, and a single Rock Pipit flutters between the Sea Thrift.
A few walkers described sighting a Peregrine, though I missed it, instead focusing on a few Small Skippers as they investigate the blooming Wild Thyme, Bindweed, and Sow-Thistle.