The annual coach trip on Saturday\n4 May was to Durlston National Nature Reserve near Swanage in Dorset. It was a day\nof bright sunshine but with a cold wind. As the coach drove from Wareham to\nSwanage, Alan Parfitt explained how the route was travelling back in time \u2013\nfirst the Tertiary sands of the Dorset heaths, then the Chalk ridge which runs\nthrough Corfe, then Wealden marls, then the Purbeck Beds and finally the\nPortland Beds. The day\u2019s walk started from the Visitor Centre along the cliff-top\nCoastal Path. There were fine views across to the Isle of Wight and a Peregrine\nflew past. Fulmars flew below on stiff wings and rafts of Guillemots with a few\nRazorbills swam on the sea below. Further along the cliffs, it was possible to\nlook back over the Guillemot nesting ledges, where there were also a few Shags.\nOn the other side of the path, Rock Samphire and Wild Madder were noted,\nWhitethroats were singing and there were a number of Wall butterflies. The path\nled steeply down a rocky stretch near Tilly Whim caves. A Rock Pipit flitted\nround a rocky platform, there were several Stonechats flying around the gulley\nbelow the lighthouse and clumps of Thrift and Sea Campion cushioned the cliffs.\nA number of the hairy Caterpillars of the Brown-tail moth were crawling across\nthe short turf of the Lighthouse Green. A few Early Spider-orchids were found\nhere, but they were mostly past their best. The walk continued into the first\nfield beyond the lighthouse. More Early Spider-orchids were found here, and a\nfew still showed the glossy brown spider markings. Other flowers found here\nincluded Green-winged Orchid, Horseshoe Vetch, Yellow-wort, Dwarf Thistle, Wild\nClary, Pale Flax and both blue and pink Milkwort. After much discussion, it was\ndecided that both Common and Chalk Milkwort were present. Lunch was consumed in\nthe sunshine and out of the wind, in the shelter of a rocky ridge. A Gannet\nflew past out to sea. Continuing over the ridge, there was a fine display of\nCowslips and Early-purple Orchids. Heading further west, the next steep field\nabove the Coastal Path had good numbers of Green-winged Orchids. Small-leaved\nButtercup was found in cattle-poached areas and near a water trough. Returning\nalong the top path towards the Visitor Centre, a number of Lesser Whitethroats\nwere heard and a Small Copper butterfly was seen. A second group of members\nwalked a shorter route. They explored the Saxon Field, where there were more Cowslips\nand Early-purple Orchids, and a small quarry had a good display of Early\nSpider-orchids, with many still fully in flower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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