Saturday 24 August 2013

From Out of a Wood Did a Cuckoo Fly - Czech Hymn

Yesterday evening saw the umpteenth BBQ of the year, and as we sat down to enjoy a juicy lamb chop, ribs, sausage, home grown baked potatoes and a very good Rioja, a CUCKOO flew the length of the garden and disappeared into distant trees. Not an addition to any list, but being the end of August this is likely to be the 'last' we see until next spring?
A hefty and most interesting catch in the Moth Trap this morning, as the night remained sultry with both wind and rain holding off, which included 3 new additions* to our list.
MAPLE PUG*,
with Garden Pea for size comparison,
MAPLE PUG* 
was coincidental as Hugh and I had only been discussing the origins of Field Maple trees on the farm a couple of days ago. The larvae of this tiny Insect is reliant on the blossom of this tree as a food source and this is the first time I've clapped eyes on this little critter!
PLUME MOTH
with strange 'upright' stance
It was the differing sizes of these two
BLACK ARCHES
that caught by eye, seemingly the male being the smaller of the pair.
Then she decided to display an attractive abdomen so what is a
Poor Boy suppose to do?
HEDGE RUSTIC*
NARROW-WINGED PUG*
STRAW DOT
GREY DAGGER
Nearly always overlooked and seldom visited, a probable haven for much Wildlife here on the Parley Court Estate is the
 The perimeter is left totally untouched while the fairways and other open spaces are planted with both ornamental and naturally occurring shrubs and other plants. In addition, there are a number of small ponds which could harbour who knows what? Deciding to spend some time there this morning, my arrival was heralded by a 'fly-past' of this
 TORNADO FIGHTER
the thing about BI Airport is it caters for 'all comers' so 
there is no knowing what will arrive or depart next - 
you do have to be alert to that!
 There always has been a healthy membership here with the well 
appointed CLUBHOUSE (open to the General Public) 
catering for all needs and occasions including 'outside' of Golf itself.
 There is a splendid
 DRIVING RANGE
with attendant Coach,
 Pleasing Vistas,
 BUGGIES
 along with well managed
RESTAURANT and BEER BAR
Manager Catherine Griffiths taking care of Member and Visitors alike.
Add to that adequate parking, other practise areas and a
'highly regarded' Team of Professionals, 
I'm thinking of taking the game up myself????
 Arriving at one of those Practise Areas, complete with Bunker, 
devised for Putting and Chipping my attention was drawn to the 
bushes and Nettle bed beyond. Having already had my share of
 BROWN HAWKERS
this week, there were a further c5 to greet me here. However,
another 'Dragon' caught my eye as having a quite different flight pattern.
 This turned out to be a stunning
 GOLDEN-RINGED DRAGONFLY
which, had the Nettles not prevented it, would have allowed much 
better angles for images. It's worth noting the SPIDER at the top of
the snapped off, dead Dock stem.
 A couple of panorama views.
On the way back, and directly underneath one of the favoured Kestrel perches this 'pellet' was found, with the wrong conclusion being formed. The content looks like small pieces of 'straw' rather than 'bone' with one suggestion being a pellet having been dislodged from a Combined Harvester or some such thing? If we find out you'll be next to know!
Passing through the substantial VEGETABLE PATCH it was noted that the LARGE WHITE BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS are playing havoc with Hugh's Cabbages.
Familiarly known as 'Cabbage Whites' they are a pest to Brassicas 
(Cauliflower, Cabbage etc) so no surprise that the Latin name is
Pieris brassicae
An E-Mail received this morning from my former Bird Guide in Panama.
 
Saludos Captain Bagsy
Hope everything is good with you. Below valuable information for your next birding trip.  Let me know if questions. Hiring a local guide  is the key for a successful birding trip. As you already know, they handle the latest development on birds and on new and exiting birding areas. They are constantly in contact with  best places to overnight, been next to birding areas most of the time.  Will lead you to best local restaurants and provide your trip transportation since day one. They don't require to fill a birding tour quota to cover company monthly expenses, which give them the opportunity to offer better prices and do a better job. I'm not talking just  local freelance birdguides.  I have to include local birding  companies that caters to international birdwatching companies, that also provide excellent services. To mention few there is   Ancon Expedition Panama Bird Guide Advantage Tours Guided Birding Tours offering petit birding tours in Panama (2-6 person max). Either way, your birdwatching trip to Panama should be designed to accommodate all interested levels, from you the most enthusiastic veteran birder to the curious novice. Under the guidance of a professional local bird guide  you should be able to plan and execute a high efficiency low budget birding tour, dedicating extra birding time to  lure tons of birds on a probable one to one birding opportunity. They are capable of offering  packages even for those with limited vacation time, or combined to form longer birding tours.  Each single or multi-day package should feature several of the country's premier birdwatching sites depending on your interest, and it has to be combined with comfortable lodging and private transportation. If for some reason these packages don't suit your needs, we'll gladly can help you customise a birding plan to fit your requirements. Below habitats and hotspots you should consider during your trip planning  to Panama.

Central Panama and Canal national parks 
1) Metropolitan Nature Park
2) Soberania National Park
3) San Lorenzo National Park
4) Las Cruces National Park
5) Chagres National Park
premier lowland highland birdwatching sites in central panama and canal :  Pipeline Road – The Rain Forest Discovery Center – Old Gamboa Road – Plantation – Semaphor hill – Achiote Road – El Valle  –  Altos del Maria –  Cerro azul & Cerro Jefe (
    &   12  day tour)  contact us

Finally, our thoughts and condolences go out to the Family, Friends and Loved Ones of Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland; Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin; 59-year-old Gary McCrossan, from Inverness and George Allison, 57 who perished in the North Sea yesterday evening as result of a helicopter crash.
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