Friday 3 April 2015

April Love - Pat Boone

How's this for an April Fool's Jape?
 Won't go into the Why' and Wherefore's suffice to say that probably
Dorset's most famous landmark
 THE CERNE ABBAS GIANT
was joined by a furry friend on the day.
Rather than make a fool of myself on the first day of April, it was decided to do a Mini Twitch, that is see how many species of bird could be seen in just a single morning. As ever though there is the small matter of the Moth Trap where we had a little more success. Nothing totally new but a couple of new additions to the Year List.

 CHESTNUT

 GREY SHOULDER-KNOT
Something a little out of the ordinary, a Grey Form
CLOUDED DRAB
which I am not alone in thinking are rather 'stunning' compared to
CLOUDED DRAB
'ordinaire'.
First for the Year
 RED CHESTNUT
and the Micro Moth
DIURNEA FAGELLA
All else was this
BLACK SLUG
how do they get in?
Just a little of what was seen around the farm.
HOUSE SPARROW
now well into "building a little home for 2 or 3 or 4 or maybe more,
in Love Land with me and my Gal".
An extract from the
Coot Chronicle in oppose to the Gadwall Gazette,
no eggs yet but getting things warmed up.
Arrival at the Irrigation Pond coincided with a photo pose from one of the resident
MOORHEN
and just around the corner it was good to find that another pair of
COLLARED DOVE
have moved in.
It was considered that any Ducks apart from Mallard would be hard to find
but........
just a 'pair' of
TEAL
had lingered as had c2 males and single female
GADWALL
female TEAL
Displaying
GREENFINCH
on the Deer Fence of the main Solar Panel Compound,
of which I have no received unrestricted access. A short Safety Induction,
something most familiar in a previous life, and entry in the Log (ditto) and
sign the form and that's me. Just need the Little Ringed Plover to show up!
In reality it was as quick as that, but not in the Compound.
Can you see them yet??
A short drive round to the back of the Eco Recycling Works
and there were c2
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER
just waiting to greet me.
Gentle manoeuvre of the St'Range Rover

had then at 'Point Blank' (Lee Marvin) range
in addition to which were c2
GREEN SANDPIPER
in the very same puddle!
A blink of the eye would have missed them as a 'pair' of

GREEN WOODPECKER
raced out of a Birch Wood, one continuing as the other took a breather.
Only 3 shots were fired before it too continued the chase.
With Goldbeck/Silverstone still extremely keen to maintain a photograph
portfolio of all wildlife in and around the panels, the 2 GREENS today,
Finch and Woodpecker
should go down very well. Just need to get the Sandpiper to cooperate now!
KESTREL
wasn't quite so obliging
but
we did our best and t least got something, another Day Tick.
What is effectively a 'Hedge' on this bank of the River Stour,
is exactly the spot were
TREECREEPER
nested last year, so here's hoping!
There are at least c3
NUTHATCH
there also with possibly double that number in Merritown Wood.
At least one
LAPWING
is now 'sitting' at the back of Eco, but at the distance
it is impossible to know what on, we will keep an eye and let you know.
The area in which the
MEDITERRANEAN GULLs
of the other day were spotted was thought worthy of closer observation,
and these 2 were found at 18 Acre. A drive along the adjacent
Horse Paddock appeared all too much for the small flock of
HERRING GULL
but in the next field
not one,
not 2 and not even
three but 4
MEDITERRANEAN GULLs

Still maintaining a fair distance from the track
but who cares when you have birds of this quality, and scarcity here, in your own
Back Yard?

Just one image allowed for comparison with
BLACK-HEADED GULL (left).
It was an afterthought that these few maybe 'overshoots' from the 200+
that have been a feature of Longham Lake, just 2 miles away, in recent days?
Coffee and Honey Flavour Smoked Mackerel Sarnies was followed by
Part II just before the heavy drizzle set in, never mind we clocked the
KINGFISHER
and ended up with 56 species including Common and Jack Snipe,
Dartford Warbler, Stonechat, Little Grebe, Bullfinch, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll
to name but a few. The latter being the first for more months than can be remembered.
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