Durlston Country Park

Peregrine on the seacliffs at Durlston Country Park
A young Peregrine on the sea cliffs at Durlston Country Park waiting for one of the adults to return from hunting.
With many migrants passing through or leaving the park to depart across the English Channel the wait is likely to have been a short one.
Male Adonis Blue nectaring
Adonis Blue.
The brilliant sky blue wings of the male Adonis Blue are unmistakeable just a shame its restricted to limestone and chalk grasslands of southern England. With a preference for short grass and south facing slopes Durlston Country Park is ideal.
Male Adonis Blue on a seedhead
Male Adonis Blue
Male Adonis Blue
Small Copper
Small Copper.
A far more widespread and still relatively common Butterfly. Noticeably aggressive towards other species with even the larger Peacocks and Red Admirals being targeted.
English Honeysuckle
English Honeysuckle.
Surprising to see so many still in flower. The early and late Dutch Honeysuckle in the garden called it a day a few weeks ago.
Black Bryony in fruit
Black Bryony
Another plant that makes the specimens found up north appear rather weedy. The amount of berries on these is ridiculous. Unfortunately despite being the UK’s only representative of the Yam family the berries are poisonous.
Fruiting Spindle Tree
Spindle Tree
A source of hard, dense wood used for the production of spindles and skewers. Related to the variegated Euonymus widely grown as ground cover good to see several of our native Spindle Trees in fruit. Perhaps less well known is the fact that its the main over wintering host of the Blackfly aphid.

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