Saturday 26 October 2013

Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty

Yet another blustery night punctuated by showers of sometimes heavy rain, but still the Moth Traps have something to show. In mine at Weston Street this little beauty was among only c7 Moths and if we did do Micros (which of course we don't) this would be one of the favourites. Like most, this only has a Latin name.
 Palpita vitrealis
The second by contrast was in one of the Portland Bird Obs traps.
Continuing the theme of 'we don't do Micros'
something of a 'rare' migrant which also has a Latin handle.
Spoladea recurvalis
 Close to the tip of Portland Bill stands the monolith known as
PULPIT ROCK
Here are some of the things seen today inside just a few 
hundred square yards of that feature.
 COMMON KESTREL
 GOLDFINCH
note the 'ring' on right leg.
 Looking from Portland Bill along the East Cliff
Portland Bird Observatory the white finger (near top left).
 One of c4 BLACK REDSTART in that area today.
 At least a dozen WHEATEAR
 JACKDAW also 'ringed'.
 On the rocks
 c2 TURNSTONE
 Distant OYSTERCATCHER
 A RAVEN finds a long time dead BROWN RAT
 and flies off to the relative safety of one of the Beach Huts.
 It didn't tolerate me for long!
 The first of what turned out to be 'lots' of FUNGI.
 
 2 of c4 BLACKCAPs
 (c3 female + a male).
 Another much more obliging
LITTLE OWL
 and several BLACKBIRDs enjoying
 the abundance of 'fruits', these ROSE HIPS
More FUNGI before heading back to the Obs.
I said to a man walking towards me "the Common if 'full' of 
Toadstools today", "How do you know it' 'full" he asked.
"Because there's not Mush-room left" said I.
Having not owned a telescope for a number of years and now with thoughts of buying one, it was fortuitous to find my mate Kieth Mortimer of the Optics Company 'In Focus' in attendance. It took no time at all, with Kieth's guidance, to select an Opticron instrument and thought while I was at it the long thought of 10x32 Swarovski 'Swarovision' binoculars were also purchased. A lot of money but the prospect of a Lot of Joy to come! The visit also coincided with a mixed feeding flock of Seabirds easily viewable from the veranda, of which I saw Balearic Shearwater and Common Scoter, thus far not seen this year, Sooty Shearwater added to the Dorset Year List, while best of the bunch a Sabine's Gull (a 'rare' vagrant from the America's) which was also added to those Lists plus the Month List for the County. As if I hadn't already had the 'cream of the crop', to end the day a Barn Owl flew out of the Obs Quarry to hunt the nearby fields. That final touch just DID IT for me!
 Year List = 170    Dorset Year List = 158
A Young Gerry Rafferty 
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