Tuesday 20 August 2013

Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan

Well, someone certainly took the time and trouble to send our link
to friends and/or family as there was another large 'spike' in 
Reader Numbers again yesterday! 
At the time of writing (16:30 today) the counter already shows 250 which is unprecedented.
This Blog is NOT a Labour of Love, it is simply LOVE for all the GOOD PEOPLE who take time to 'tune in' whenever they can. No thanks are required, just to see the Stats each day is enough, but to witness appreciation such as yesterday makes it even more worthwhile. THANK YOU ALL whoever you are!!!!
What regular reader may remember was previously described as"the BEST attraction added to Weymouth's already huge arsenal in a long time", Paul Harris now sends us a timely reminder. The view from atop the Sealife Tower, complete with rotating viewing platform and sited on the Pleasure Pier, affords a magical 360° panorama of an unparallelled part of our beautiful county, Dorset. Starting with the full sweep of the town and world famous sands (beach pictured), the 'flight' (as they call it) takes you the full length of the Purbeck Hills where they meet the English Channel at St Alban's Head. After the 'sea-going' section you meet the tip of Portland Bill and follow the ismuth (which Thomas Hardy described as like the head of a prehistoric bird jutting out to sea) along its east coast, the Harbour and that 'natural wonder of the world' Chesil Beach. Finally, you return to the Stone Pier and Nothe Fort before looking directly up Weymouth Harbour towards the Town Bridge - Pheeeew, makes me feel like another go! The photo arrived with the caption
'IN CASE YOU'RE GETTING HOMESICK'
I should counter by saying, I only left after becoming 'sick of a home'
as we know it!
Anyway, another day and a beautiful one at that. A warm night encouraged another 'trap full' of which at least 2 were new* to the list.
RED TWIN-SPOT CARPET*
TAWNY SPECKLED PUG*
Seemingly something of a 'scarcity' in the Weymouth area.
IRON PROMINENT
TRUE LOVER'S KNOT
SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER
Not the most attractive Moth on the Planet and by no means a 
'rarity', This fella gets my vote for the best 'name' in the book.
Wherever did they get that one from?
Having enjoyed my time at Blashford Lakes so much yesterday, it being so close at hand and the Range Rover being available why not try a REVISIT! No matter how many times you may visit a place, you never see it all as was the case with the woodland only a matter of paces from the car. I had not noticed
ORANGE RUST FUNGI
on Silver Birch,
the MOSS on this BEECH
or this LICHEN also on Silver Birch.
Hardly out of the car park and WILD ARUM were seen 'in berry',
but what was that movement in the grass.
A little patience (usually a little in short supply) revealed a 'pair' of
BANK VOLES
foraging then disappearing down the hole, which is in the top
picture but difficult to see, and then continuing the cycle.
Must have been 'young' there somewhere!
It isn't every day you get this close to a 
LAPWING
(occasionally called PEWIT or GREEN PLOVER)
so I thoroughly enjoyed sitting, watching and photographing
this individual 'hunting'.
It is hoped you enjoy this series of images as much as I did taking them!
Outside of the hide there are numerous BRAMBLES with just a small proportion of the fruit ready for picking. If this is an example of this years crop, I'll be out with a bucket before long. With little in the way of traffic at that time of day it is little more than 15 minutes from Blashford to the heart of one of Great Britain's
NEW FOREST PONIES
roam 'wild' here but each belongs to somebody. Carefully managed
the breed remains strong even if needing shelter from the sun.
More join the throng in the shade.
CARRION CROW
WATER LILIES and AZURE DAMSELFLY
AZURE DAMSELFLY
A none to clever photo of 
COMMON DARTER
Caution Cattle Crossing
PS - I've just looked it up - Setaceous means
1. Having or consisting of bristles; bristly: a setaceous moth.
2. Resembling bristles or a bristle: setaceous whiskers.
along with this the Hebrew (Character) letter nun -
from the 15th-century Ashkenazi book-hand explains the pattern.
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