Where better to be on World Oceans Day

The Safari didn't get out til late this morning, we rarely do on a Sunday. So the choice was here, there or where. Eventually we plumbed for the cliffs as the lure of the chance of Bottle Nosed Dolphins was too strong to resist.

We decided on a two hour timed watch and in that time didn't see much. A few Gannets mooched about but very little active fishing was going on. A few Sandwich Terns passed by and we saw a small flock of Common Scoters and that was about it, nothing blubbery at all unfortunately.

Not much seen but the 'sea'nery was quite spectacular - it's not often we get the full turquoise treatment here.

Our original's not that saturated; not sure what Blogger has done to it

After a cuppa back at Base Camp we went back out onto the North Blackpool Pond Trail to see if we could find anymore Bee Orchids.

We did, we upped our count of about 16 to nearly 25. Sadly many of those we found yesterday were now broken probably trodden on by dogs running after balls, seems the only people who use this part of the trail are dog walkers and the odd (some might say very odd) plant photographers.

Little stunners aren't they, we never get tired of them. Sady it doesn't look like we'll be able to get further north in Safari-land to see the Ladies Slipper and Fly Orchids amongst other botanical marvels - oh to be retired and independently wealthy!

The warm afternoon sunshine brought out a few invertebrates. Half a dozen Common Blue butterflies were on the wind and we also had singles of Large White and Small Tortoiseshell, we had hoped for a Meadow Brown or Large Skipper - have to wait until later in the week for those two perhaps, they can't be far away now.

This big Sawfly was tucking into a smaller insect but if we'd moved round to get it's face in shot our shadow would have fallen on it and off it would have gone.

Finished it

We had a look at the Cowslips but the seeds aren't ripe yet, as we were walking out of the longer stuff a jump caught our eye - the first Grasshopper of the year, things are starting to come along rather nicely.
Where to next? will Patch 2 produce or not and if not what will the Brownies find tomorrow evening?

In the meantime let us know what's looking all turquoise in your outback.