The west arm of Lulworth Cove
The coastal path just east of Durdle Door
I saw several species of butterflies as I wandered along the path. A single Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus landed close by, the most brilliant blue colour and the rarest of our downland blues. A privilege to see this beauty. Several silvery-blue Chalkhill Blues Lysandra corridon drifted over grass no doubt looking for the few knapweeds and scabiouses still evident. Small Whites Pieris rapae showed in abundance as too did Small Tortoiseshells Aglais urticae and a single Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus.
As I watched the butterflies something entered my peripheral vision and I looked skyward just in time to lock my binoculars on a magnificent Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus drifting effortlessly on thermals as he flew by west to east. Following his flightpath brought a hovering Kestrel Falco tinnunculus into view. Further along the track I met up with one of the local rangers and asked the usual "Seen anything?" He pointed out a number of Yellow Wagtails Motacilla lava resting on nearby fence-posts, summer visitors no doubt thinking about their return journey south. Further along the fence we spotted a single Whinchat Saxicola rubetra, another summer visitor. We parted company and I wandered on past an area of low scrub and was lucky to see a skulking Stonechat Saxicola torquata. But the highlight had to be a pair of Ravens Corvus corax, the largest by far of the black crows, big-headed and wedge-tailed.
In February 2012 the Wild Purbeck area was designated as one of 12 Nature Improvement Areas across the country. It is an area of outstanding beauty that provides the naturist with a wealth of wildlife to see. Keep your eyes peeled and remember to keep looking up; you never know what might be passing overhead!
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