Storm Kathleen roared about the Centre, gusting up to 30 mph although her maximum (here) reached 42 mph at 07:30. I negotiated a very muddy pathway, only having to return through it, as my pencil tip had broken. Hamish Murray gave an excellent presentation on his 2023 invertebrate survey of Durlston. These wet, wide, slippery churned mud gateways and path patches will dry to become essential habitat for a range of sun basking and ground burrowing insects. So no, we will not be resurfacing them!
Entering South Field I enjoyed a clump of Bluebell flowers. Despite the wind Song Thrush, Wren, Magpie and Chiff Chaff were heard. In fact, one, two then three Magpies flew (were persuaded by the wind) inland. At Saxons Hay Rake Quarr I delighted at seeing a clump of Early Spider Orchids, some in flower, on the higher ground of the cut through hollow. It appeared that a Chaffinch was blown to it Sycamore perch. The white buds of Chickweed were emerging at the path fringes. In Saxon there was a last of Skylark sounds. A Woodpigeon, perched upon a wall, whilst beneath it, another drank from a water trough. Creeping through open grassland was Old Mans Beard whilst a clump of Cowslips was at a Blackthorn clump edge.
Eventual I spotted, in the distance, the weaned Hereford Cattle in Jack Bais Meadow. Several Ant Hills showed bald patches of aerated soil between Red Fescue “hair”.
Beneath the Large Corpse’s canopy, the ground cover included: a mat of leaf baring Winter Heliotrope, Ivy, Arum, Stinking Iris, Goosegrass, and several Elm sapling / suckers. It was the Black Pines that mostly gave the wind its vocal cords. However, I studied a bark-less, hollowed, Woodpecker holed dead stem that was suspended almost chimney like in a Holm Oak. Out of harms way this was excellent habitat. On the woodland eastern edge, sun shone in enabling a range of Flies to be active. The skeleton upon the wall was that of a Sycamore mast.
Near the Small Copse a Dandelion seed clock seemed to have had little impact from the wind. Entering Lighthouse Field I walk into the blasting wind. Only a few Jackdaws were seen being active about the cliff tops and Lighthouse.