A beautiful morning, with a royal blue sky traced with streaks of high cloud and a cool north-westerly breeze, carrying with the mingled scents of Daisies, the garlic tang of Three-cornered Leek, the coconut smell of Gorse, the sweet scent of Blackthorn blossom and the sea.
Above the meadows, Skylarks pour the lovely, liquid song into the air – tiny brown specks as they flutter high overhead. These endangered birds are preparing to nest among the grass, so please do your bit by keeping dogs on paths, on leads or under very close control when out in the meadows.
Oceans of yellow Cowslips fill many of the fields, while here and there, the slender stems of Pale Flax are starting to appear, along with the leaves of Yellow Rattle. Around the field edges, Lords and Ladies is in flower, while in Taskers meadow a large patch of the similar Adderstongue Fern can be seen near the south-eastern gateway.
A Queen Buff-tailed Bumble Bee weaves it’s way along the Drove ahead of me, while the bright sunshine means a few Speckled Woods are already on the wing.
On the downs, Early Spider Orchids form a dense carpet in places, their fuzzy brown flowers marked with a glossy blue ‘Pi symbol’. Tall pink Early Purple Orchids are also in bloom, along with the smaller, denser flowers of Green-winged Orchids. Tucked away in a corner of the woodland, the strange, green-flowered orchid Common Twayblade is starting to appear, though the flowers have yet to open.
A raft of Guillemots and Razorbills bobs on a dazzling sea below the ledges, with Fulmars carving smooth curves through the air above them, swooping in to within a few inches of the cliff-face. A sleek, grey Peregrine Falcon hurtles past, wings furled tight to her body, passing straight through the middle of a chaotic, squabbling flock of Jackdaws.
In the woodland, the mingled notes of Blackbird, Dunnock and Song Thrush are punctuated by the rhythmic wheeze of Great Tits.