A lovely summer morning, with a pleasant south-westerly breeze freshening an already hot morning.
The meadows are looking truly dazzling at the moment! Tall white Ox-eye Daisies sway in the breeze, alongside dense drifts of pink Sainfoin. Here and there, the pink flowers of Grass Vetchling are scattered like jewels among miniature ‘forests’ of Yellow Rattle and Eyebright.
The yellow flowers of the tall, single flowered ‘dandelion’ Rough Hawkbit have all turned their faces to the sun, while below them, more bright yellow from Birdsfoot Trefoil and a profusion of Dyers Greenweed.
More and more bright pink Pyramidal Orchids are opening each day, joining thousands of pale pink and purple Common Spotted Orchids and hundreds of extravagant, furry Bee Orchids, which seem to be having an especially good year.
The delicate, light blue flowers of Pale Flax are easy to spot at this time of day, though as the day goes on they will shed their petals. Wild Carrot flowers are looking especially lovely at the moment – the opening inflorescence surrounded by fine green intersecting sepals, while the flower itself is speckled with pink.
Overhead, Skylarks pour their song into the air, with the calls and song of Whitethroats, Chaffinches, Dunnocks and Blue and Great Tits ringing out from the hedgerows.
Along the cliffs, Guillemots and Razorbills bob on the water, as Fulmars wheel above them with effortless ease and the plaintive cry of a passing Oystercatcher echoes off the cliffs. Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls and Shags are also on the wing, with a Raven, near Tilly Whim flapping by with a large white egg in it’s beak.
On the verge down to the Castle, the navy blue flowers of Green Alkanet are in bloom, among a tangle of Cleavers (covered with tiny white star-shaped flowers), flecked with Cuckoo Spit, filled with fast growing Froghopper larvae.