Wednesday 22 April 2015

Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley

You can burn my house,
Steal my car,
Drink my liquor
From an old fruitjar.
Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,
Honey, lay off of my Moth Traps
Some wag had decided to mess with one of the Moth Trap this morning,
leaving a Pheasant's egg in one of the egg trays and in so doing
dishevelling the whole thing.
I feel a bit of a Tyre Slashing Spree
coming on!
PHEASANT's EGG
Ho, Freakin' Ho!
HEBREW CHARACTER
with eggs
 SHOULDER STRIPE
along with
 MUSLIN MOTH
both new for the year.
 MUSLIN MOTH
sunbathing.
and while on the subject of The Sun, it was that which induced 
 ORANGE UNDERWING
 to get into Flight Mode.
 This individual, net caught, was just one of c5 seen.
 NOON FLY
 PIED SHIELDBUG
 a new one to us here!
Sunday began before it even started as there was no need to leave
the comfort of the Hammock before the first Year Tick was recorded!
A presumed 'in fligt' and very 'vocal'
WHIMBREL
invaded Slight Return II airspace at 05:20 exactly. Otherwise as
the day progressed this
SQUAB
or in this case a'juvenile'
WOOD PIGEON
The strict definition of the word Squab relates to the young of
Domestic Pigeons but we like this little used word.
Presumed again, c2 of the c4 young
MUTE SWANs
hatched on Parley Pond
last year today on the River Stour.
SONG THRUSH
abound
mostly foraging to feed young, but not so evident are their larger cousins
Mistle Thrush
while more unusually the Northern version, Fieldfare, are still present
on the farm.
RAVEN (s)
have become daily once again, a sure sign the eggs have hatched and
both parent birds are on the look-out for victuals.
Now, that easy to recognise 'song' is going to be another
New Bird for the Year
LESSER WHITETHROAT

as can be seen singing its little head off.
 
Then, while surveying the recently ploughed pasture and noting a
'four fold' increase in Lapwing numbers, 40+, right from under my feet.
This little beauty
and only the second record
this year.
The 'first' was recorded behind Eco,
as dedicated readers may remember,
so little, if any, chance of this being the same bird.
As all
RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE
in Great Britain have been released, this definitely derives from
elsewhere as none are 'laid down' here.
Warblers continued to dominate the scene with
BLACKCAP,
this a male,
singing from every bush and tree.
Don't you just love it when they are so intent on finding
a mate that they simply stay put?
GREENFINCH
and
COLLARED DOVE
Lots of
WHITE DEAD-NETTLE
around while the same pair of
MUTE SWAN
responsible for the 2 above have now started sitting. Whether there 
are any eggs is not known.
Now that's something you don't see here everyday, in fact not at all, a
RACING (Feral) PIGEON
The Sun Indicator is working fine as it slowly lifts the water from the
Irrigation Pond
we can now see the mid-Ocean Ridge.
We really did consider that they were gone, but look who turned up
yesterday.
Now thought to have just been lying low,
hopefully close to a nest,
one at least of the
LITTLE GREBEs
is back on the IP.
SMOOTH (Common) NEWT
also remain there with some still not having returned to the water.
Likely a wise move that remembering the feeding habits of the above
Grebe during early Spring.
MULLEIN
is sprouting everywhere, so hopefully the Moth of the same name
to follow?
Seems likely this is the excavation of a
TAWNY MINING BEE
we will bee keeping an eye open for the occupant.
On the subject of Little Grebe, there was an incident on Lodmoor
a few years back when a pair nested almost uncomfortably too close
to the pathway. All was clear to see by passers-by which now seems 
to be the same here with

LAPWING
Usually much more at home in the middle of a field these 2, who are
infrequently at home, don't seem to mind the attention from the
Bridleway.

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE
 Finally, let me introduce you to the new Family Members
To Gavin (younger son) and his partner Sam
The Wonky Donkeys
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