Monday 16 March 2015

High Hopes - Pink Floyd

A relatively mild and not too damp Winter allowed me at least to escape the ravages of piblokto, and now we can all enjoy at least 12 hour each day of uninterupted daylight. That means monitoring the Moth Traps can start as early as 06:30 unless of cause there is a Calling From Above.The familiar sound of at least one
DUNLIN
was enough reason to abandon the traps until later, and although
it was highly unlikey that this 'over-flying' bird(s) was going to pitch
a short effort was made to prove it.
This is the first known of the species to be recorded at PCF so an
Excellent Start to the Day!
(photos from the archive as illustration)
Other moments of excitement of the last couple of days has been the deployment of an Actinic Moth Trap on Merritown Heath. With heavy rain predicted, and duely showing up, expectations were not high but 'keep the sunny side up' and look what we got. All 'firsts' for the year, and clinging to the outside of the unit a beautiful
 YELLOW HORNED
just to start thing off,
 this being just a ¼ of the total within.
As if that were not enough, for that speccies at least, there was also a
 Copulating Pair
found with the others clinging to an egg tray.
('click' on the image to better see the colour variation between the 2)
Luck indeed, as it might take a couple of lifetimes to ever 'capture' such a situation.
 SMALL QUAKER
 HORSE CHESTNUT
and just singularly, the
CHESTNUT
Unidentified LARVAE likely of a Micro Moth
we carn't do the Moths let alone the Larvae!
Good numbers of common birds around over the past couple
of days and something of a Renaissance for the likes of
GOLDFINCH
GREENFINCH
remain numerous and healthy as do
DUNNOCK
Now here a thought.
This gravelled area, with associate puddles, used to be a stowage area for recently cut Turf. Latterly, it was the base for machinary and stores used for the construction of Phase II Solar Panel Farm. It was also the home, last year, of at least one Little Ringed Plover which given the Hurn Gravel Pit has now been back-filled, might just decided to settle here with its mates later on?
I am currently in discussion with the Site Manager to be allowed limited
access, to monitor whatever may arrive, with Hopes being High.
On to the Sewerage Works where once again the odd
GREY WAGTAIL
is showing up with the 100+
Pied Wagtail there.
They're still here!
Same puddle, same time of day and maybe the same bird?
GREEN SANDPIPER
ROBIN
Lots
of
GOLDCREST
c6 (distant GADWALL on the Gravel Pit
Just a small part of the 100+
LINNET
flock.
MERRITOWN HEATH
looking towards the Aspens
and an impromptu stop right alongside this dead
BADGER
Looking forward to seeing the changing colours the seasons will bring
and hopefully a few more of these
DARTFORD WARBLER
still keeping a very low profile at the moment.
There seem to be c2 pairs of
STONECHAT
settling in while there is still the occasional song from a
WOODLARK
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