Sunday 16 March 2014

Red Sky At Night - The Barn's On Fire

 Checking the Moth Traps at 18:30
 this was the Sun Setting in the west,
 and in the east the Moon that will be 100% 'full' today.
 Having agreed a new power source one of the traps was moved
to this new location close to a small 'flight pond' and among
Oaks and Sallows. The result this morning was a record catch
for the year including Oak Beauty, Small Quaker and Yellow Horned.
 The second, occasionally placed inside the redundant Chicken Shack
produced no more than c2 of each Hebrew Character and Common Quaker.
 Last and Least,
sited alongside the wood palings of Janet's stable, suffered a malfunction,
now repaired, returning a big Zero.
Another day when there was no plan to Post a Blog, and while the daily doings are not 'dramatic' they are worth pulling oneself away from filleting Rainbow Trout and watching Man U get another hiding! (which neither puts me up nor down). Sunny with a chill breeze, there were sure to be a migrant or two, but all in that direction were a couple of singing Chiffchaff at Longham. A prediction was that my first record of Sand Martin this year may well be from the new found Gravel Pits at Hurn, that was my next visit. A small 'Plover' was still in attendance but due to range and mainly the glare of the sun detail could not be confirmed but looked every bit like the Little Ringed Plover of a couple of days ago. Well over a hour was spent here with at first just c2, with a possible 3rd
 EGYPTIAN GOOSE
 in the end amounted to a count of 8 and an addition to the (dare I say it) Gravel Pit List, quickly on! Other additions to that list included Green Woodpecker, Rook and Stock Dove and with this feeling I get about this place there will be much more to come. Thinking there had to be a better viewpoint, I made off to find one only to realise my wait for the next new bird was to be very short lived! Totally unexpected this
 RED KITE
 flew over a hedgerow giving little time to raise the camera
 let alone secure a decent shot.
It then flew west, almost along the course of the River Stour and
disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. An addition to the Dorset Year List only,
it may have well looked like this (archive) had I been a little more alert??
So, there you go, another good day which it is hoped will be followed
by a better night at the Moth Traps.
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