Saturday 27 June 2015

Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty

Today's proposed Post had already been compiled Yesterday which was intended for publication Today, but given the happening of Yesterday this Post was written up Yesterday and appears here Today! As ever, we started monitoring the Moth Traps at about 05:00 and by 07:30 we had added 4 new species to the PCF Year List including 
 the diminutive 
 SHORT-CLOAKED MOTH
 a most eye-catching
 SCARCE SILVER-LINES
 SMALL FAN-FOOT

 In addition there was this rather 'dark' specimen of
 SHOULDER-STRIPED WAINSCOT
and, while we Don't Do Micros
the exception to that rule is waved 
 when something like this drops in our lap.
 BEE MOTH
(you could never capture the full hues of such a creature with a camera)
and just for good measure
LOZOTAERIA FORSTERANA
As a quick aside, ¾ of a dozen of us went for a meal at the 
WOOLPACK INN @ SOPLEY
on Wednesday evening to celebrate Janet's birthday.
Why the subject should have changed, over the
Lamb Shank and Eton Mess, to
FALSE WIDOW SPIDER
remains a mystery but, on returning home and having never 
seen one before, Jen one of our Equestrian Ladies found a
single scaling her bathroom net curtain. Now, while she got the
ID of the Arachnid right we are still convinced the other is one of
Husband Dave's old String Vests????
Once the final, battery driven, trap was completed on
Merritown Heath
with yet another far more obliging
 but no less beautiful
 
CLOUDED BUFF
attention was turned to other things all around me such as
 PERFORATED SAINT JOHN'S WORT
 LARGE SKIPPER
(Butterfly)
 the Herb
 CENTUARY
and even a 'likely' 
LESSER MARSH GRASSHOPPER?
 along with a 'third'
SMOOTH SNAKE

It would have been physically impossible to be any further away, within the Recording Area, from where Hugh sent the text and I received it! However, despite having to negotiate 2 barriers which needed opening and then closing behind myself, dodging the perpetual stream of lorries tooing and froing at Eco, Sleeping Policemen before hitting the main road, it was less than 15 minutes to reach 18-Acre by which time Hugh had left - Pheeeww!  
It was back in 2005, a year before even meeting Hugh and Janet 
let alone visiting Parley Court Farm, that this
ASH TREE TRUCK
was cut away after being made unstable by a fierce gale. 
 Prior to that a pair of

LITTLE OWL
had nested there for as long as can be remembered.
 Today, Hugh's call had heralded their return,
 not likely to be the same pair but a 'PAIR' nonetheless.
It is now hoped that we see a lot more of these furtive birds.
The rest of the days action came from 'above'
 as the noise alone was enough to alert the Devil himself
 into investigating what was going on.
 I am on alert to be corrected Roy, but even a
 Royal Air Force
TORNADO
was not quick enough to beat me to the punch!
 and then the heavy showers began beating down so hard on the roof of
Slight Return II
that it was thought to be hail.
WE'LL BE AT IT AGAIN FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
COME RAIN OR SHINE
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