Sunday 05 June – Coach trip to Durlston and the Purbeck Hills, Dorset

44 members and guests set off just after 0800 hrs for Worth Matravers. At Yeovil, Alastair Fraser gave a humorous geological introduction to Purbeck, remembered from his school journals: Jurassic, Cretaceous, Ammonites. Arriving under a baking sky to meadows of Yellow Rattle, we headed for the Jurassic coast. By the time we reached Seacombe Bottom, we had heard or seen Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Goldfinch, Linnet, Wren, Skylark, Yellowhammer, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Greenfinch, Collared Dove, Windhover (Kestrel), Buzzard, Roe Deer and the first of 20 Stonechat. Below pink Thrift-covered cliffs near Dancing Ledge flew Guillemot. Two dots on the sea became Puffins Cormorant, Shag and Commic Tern wandered past. We lunched among the Bee Orchids, Early Gentian and Milkwort, thriving in the short limestone turf. A family of Black Redstart popped up along the fence, to our delight. Under the now burning sun we trudged on through the bright blue spikes of Vipers Bugloss and the maroon-flowered Hound’s Tongue. Although devoid of birds, a few Adonis and Small Heath butterflies and the dead wings of a Cream-spot Tiger were seen and underfoot the hairy caterpillars of the Brown-tail moth. A heavy sea mist descended and a Peregrine flashed by. In the gloom Lesser Whitethroat was heard again. As we searched for it, a Dartford Warbler perched in full view. As the mist lifting we saw Razorbill swimming amongst some Guillemot (including Bridled) below Durlston’s cliffs. A Fulmar swung out in the sun, with another Sandwich Tern, and a pair of Kestrels were seen feeding chicks below the rocks. A day of great twists and turns. Thank you Alastair for your research and an entertaining first lead. Robert Hargreaves