As I walk down to the Castle first thing, the bright red breast of a Bullfinch catches my eye as it flocks into the Blackthorn alongside the Dell. It pauses, regarding the yellow Honeysuckle flowers which clamber up over the branches. Then it takes flight towards the woodland, in pursuit a duller grey female.
The path down past the first stone turret is lined by the beautiful Charlock which tower above me. The yellow blooms are perused by a good few Honeybees which still stop at each of the flowers, even with their full pollen baskets weighing down on their hind legs.
Past the Seachart, humungous Burdock leaves spread out, squashing the surrounding Old Man’s Beard and Goosegrass who grow voraciously in competition for sunlight.
The grasslands mellow towards the Globe, with low-growing Bird’s Foot Trefoil taking hold. Five Bee Orchids in flower, between the emergent Yellow Wort and Ribwort Plantain, and almost to be overlooked amongst the carpet of pink Daisies. Their central lip bee-mimicking lip surrounded by a crown of three pink sepals.
Hundreds of Guillemots raft in a great plume out from the cliffs, below the looping Fulmar and lofty-winged Shags. Razorbill are mixed in amongst them, though fewer in number, and identified by their darker plumage and broader bill. Herring Gull and Jackdaw perch upon the cliffs now adorned with umbelliferous Wild Carrot.
Further along the path, more pink flowers found adorning the clifftop: the lovely Sea Thrift, some brilliant itches of Mallow and the subtle yet beautiful Stinking Iris. A flutter of both a plainer and iridescent blue reveals the difference the between an Adonis and Common Blue butterfly. The orange wings of a Small Heath much easier to identify. Goldfinch singing from the Gorse.
I ended my walk with a quick search for the Tawny Owl chick spotted by Katie on Monday, but to no avail.