A wonderfully blustery morning as the north-west wind blows across the National Nature Reserve, the sun shining from a blue sky, dotted with white wispy clouds.
The Apple trees blossoming, including the newly named (by the RHS) Durlston Beauty. The flowers of the Wild Pear also showing well, as is the Wild Cherry. The smaller flowers of Blackthorn still shrouding the hedgerows, although in many places now turning a dirty white from the pale pinkish white.
Flitting between the spiny stems a flock of Long-tailed Tits, their round bodies attached to the long tail – always an enjoyable sight and sound as they dangle and chitter.
The sound of a recently arrived Common Whitethroat, practising its song, blowing from a clump of green leaf covered Hawthorn, my first of the year, although Lesser Whitethroats were spotted at the weekend – both making their summer home here after flying from Africa.
As I looked down a purply-black beetle caught my attention, a huge female Oil Beetle, munching on the leaves of Lesser Celandine. This beetle is a parasite on Solitary Mining Bees, the hatched larvae attaching themselves to the hairs of the bee as it feeds on a flower, and getting transported into the bee’s nest to feed on the pollen and nectar stores!
Around me the speedy song of a Chaffinch bursting from the stunning male perched on the Willow, while a female skulked along the edge of the wall. In the background a Blackcap and Dunnock could the heard, but neither seen.
On the downs a good opportunity to see the differences between the Skylarks and the Meadow Pipits, as both showing well. The Pipit fluttering up and then dropping down, while the larger Skylark was rising, their looks and songs quite different – when seen and heard together!
As I walked, the Gorse a glorious yellow, smelling strongly of coconut, their in front of my nose was a St Mark’s Fly, the long legs dangling down – really very distinctive. Low to the ground a Dark-edged Bee-Fly was assessing, proboscis at the ready