Wednesday 3 December 2014

Here Comes the Flood - Peter Gabriel

 If you Love lyrics, this is the song for you!
With no more than a smidgen of ground frost, a gentle breeze from the north and this kind of
DAWN
breaking over Harbins, what more would you want?
Well, a few Moths would be nice which is exactly what we got!
MOTTLED UMBER
DECEMBER MOTH
ANGLE SHADES
and the dead remains of what is likely a
RED-GREEN CARPET
are all 'common', have all been caught before but hey it's a tickle.
With December over the horizon since the last post, my new month resolution is to get out in the field a little more and be a little more diligent recording whatever is seen. On day one I was blessed by a visit from an Old Flame, the detail of which stay 'close to the chest', but next day opened with great delight. Confining myself to the Northern Sector of the Farm, on the waterlogged waste land at the back of the Eco Recycling Plant c61 Mallard, c34 Common Snipe, a Teal and a
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
were flushed, the latter being a new species for the property.
That being just about all the damage that could be done, it was worth
a plod through the surface water and marsh just in case anything else
was lurking within. It was, and Jack Snipe quickly joined the day list.
Both Ducks and Waders were circling overhead so I retreated to a
safe distance and watched then settle back in this favoured spot.
Only a very distant estimate of numbers could be made of the small
LAPWING
flock
with 50+ going into the log.
STARLING
was going to be even more difficult as very mobile but of these
there were thought to be more than 200.
No difficulty counting the other
Wing'ed Squadrons of the Skies
before plodding on to the
IRRIGATION POND
where water levels have got to the extreme.
The tiny dot which can just be seen slightly above dead centre
is now all that remains visible (as a Shark Fin) of the formed Isthmus.
This was the last image before it started raining all those days ago.
As a complete coincidence to the effort put in by Chris Sugden
I too had made an effort to protect hibernating Herptiles,
Amphibians, Reptiles etc
by laying these sheets of galvanised metal around the pond. 
While disturbing such creatures during their long rest is a sensitive
issue, the intent will be to raise each just once a moth to record whatever
my have decided to over-winter there.
Chris's work still continues with yet another
series of bore holes each awaiting another new sapling.
To conclude, from the distant east I received these rather nice
photographs from my friends
Jean Francois and Roong Ozoux
taken in their garden in in Phuket, Thailand
after returning from a trip to Alaska.
 BROWN-BREASTED SUNBIRD
 PIED STARLING
Remembering the great times we spent together in French Guyana, I thank you both for remembering me.
And from a far shorter distance to the west a photo of Portland's latest







REEVE STAFF
best to leave you to read what you will about the 'ancient'
Portland Court Leet
 via this link to Wikipedia, save to say that my dear friend
Jane White (wife of the Secret Leomonade Drinker) has been
inaugurated as the latest of an exceptionally long line in the Office of
'REEVE' of the COURT LEET of PORTLAND.
We wish her well.
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