Monday 26 August 2013

Get Me to the Church On Time - My Fair Lady

Bank Holiday again and almost predictably dull weather so time for an early start. The trap was overflowing this morning after another mild, starless night, as can be seen from this image of just one of the 8 
EGG TRAYS
but there was nothing 'new' and little else of interest.
Best on offer were c3 GOLD SPOT MOTHS
which considering the capture of a single on 28 June this year was 
my first ever experience of this Insect, makes this quite a notable haul.
Most numerous, outside of Moths, were these tiny BEETLES
with just one of these much larger cousins and again plenty of Wasps.
At the very Northern extremity of Poole Harbour stands
 perched on a little inlet known as
 CREEKMOOR LAKE
which was my first destination this morning. Requiring very little by
way of effort any birds here can be viewed from a series of
vantage points.
 TEAL (male)
 TEAL (female)
featured here in good numbers, the first for me in Dorset this year.
 WIGEON
restricted to just c2, similarly had not been seen in the County.
 PINTAIL,
just a single, was an addition to the GB Year List with both Ducks
above thought to be a little unseasonable.
 ANTS were obviously attracted to something on this FUNGI,
while in the woodland there were Nuthatch, Wren and Bullfinch
all keeping low profiles.
 These 2 may be of the same species, but along with the other they
 were all found on Beech Trees. A short drive found me at
Middlebere where again things were fairly quiet.
 BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
a Year Tick.
 along with 
LITTLE EGRET
were recorded at both sites while
 GREENSHANK
was my first in Dorset this year. All else here were Curlew, Redshank,
Shelduck and Yellow-legged Gull but had I been just 5 minutes earlier
Spoonbill (5) would also have been added to the Year List.
How many times have I driven past the 
 and thought to myself "I must revisit"?
The sign on the A31 main road from Dorchester to Ringwood
to the village describes the church as 13th Century which may
refer to the 'first' church to be built there
 A field full of
 DORSET HORN SHEEP
 caught my eye and was an immediate distraction.
 Soon back on the path of the righteousness,
this may be a Celtic Cross?
 The interior certainly shows
NORMAN ARCHES
 with the FONT also looking ancient.
 Back on the farm, I was summoned by Janet to the
GOAT FIELD to view a
WASP NEST
of interest as these creatures have been turning up in the Moth Trap
in good numbers (Fri c37, last night c51). Handling such a volatile
cargo was sure to take its toll when this morning I was Stung!
Entry          Pageviews
United Kingdom
                901
United States
                315
Russia
                115
Poland
                  37
Estonia
                  36
Germany
                  29
Australia
                  24
Canada
                  24
Panama
                  16
France
                  10