May blossom on the path to Seacombe

[puddleshark]

A long exhausting day yesterday, dancing at the Green Man Festival at Bradford on Avon, in the too-warm sunshine, with the town absolutely heaving with visitors - standing room only. Needed some solitude to recover, so drove down to the coast for an early morning walk down to Seacombe.

Along the dusty chalk track through Acton, a small village of stone-roofed cottages, once home to quarryworkers, now mostly holiday homes.



Onto the Priest's Way, a track used in medieval times by the priest of Worth Matravers on his way to the chapel of ease at Swanage.


Cow parsley flowering along the way, and the first elder blossom just starting to appear. A bright, breezy day. The wind still none too warm. But the track is sheltered by a good thick blackthorn hedge to the seawards side, and I was glad I'd left my coat in the car.

From the Priest's Way, across fields full of placid beef cattle, and onto the path that winds down the combe to the sea.






May blossom all the way, and the hillside scrub full of birdsong - wrens and thrushes, chiffchaffs and common whitethroats.


The rocky path down to the quarry ledges at Seacombe. The scramble down is always far more alarming than the climb back up.


Thrift flowering on the cliffs.


Sat for a while on the old quarry ledges, watching the sea wash in, the gulls sail by. A cormorant diving off the ledges and resurfacing fish in beak.



A little tempting to simply sit and fossilise... but eventually mustered the will to climb back up the gully, and start the long walk back up the combe.





Butterflies seen in the shelter of the combe:
Common Blues
Red Admirals
Small Heaths
A single Painted Lady
A single Wall



Walkers and runners starting to appear as I made my way back. A middle-aged man wearing only running shoes, shorts and a pair of dog leads looped over one shoulder, accompanied by two vizslas. A large group of people in their twenties or thirties, some of them with dogs, who appeared to be conducting some sort of business meeting as they walked. (Would that be that enlightened, or scarily unenlightened, conducting a business meeting as you walk the May paths?)

Comments

[sartorias]

Wonderful greens, but that sky! Wow!

[soemand]

WOW, coming from a place that is more forest than field, I appreciate your photos!

[kaishin108]

Lovely photos as usual. I am starting to realize how strong you must be with all your walking and the dancing! I better go walk Zilly to at least do a little. ;-)

[watervole]

I've heard a lot of good things about Bradford upon Avon Green Man, but I hate driving long distances, so I've never been.

[watervole]

We do live in such a beautiful county.

[fox_in_me]

So powerful photos!
The best are Sea coast, and a lonely tree in lend under strong wing.

[nikonf3]

Lots of wonderful skies.