Tuesday 29 November 2016

Girls on Film - Duran Duran

Over the past couple of weeks we have continued 'feeding' both the Irrigation Pond and Gravel Pit in hope of enticing a few more Wildfowl into our zone. At the same time it was realised that we have also been neglecting the Trail Cameras and came up with the notion of combining the two! Over a 2 days period one of the cameras returned no fewer tan 452 images/video clips with 78 of these having been taken of the deckhead and bookshelf within Slight Return II, good job we hadn't invited anyone round!!!! Here for your delectation are the 'filtered few'.
 CARRION CROW
CARRION CROWs and MALLARD
with Sub-Sea Barley visible.
GADWALL
male preening.
MALLARD with WIGEON right
TEAL
and distant
MALLARD
 Female
TEAL
Male
TEAL
and
increased wave movement with may have activated the cameras and
reason for so many shots.
A couple, or three, shots from the stills camera at the 
Irrigation Pond.
 Male
GADWALL
 Female
GADWALL
Pair of GADWALL in company with male WIGEON.
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Sunday 27 November 2016

Going to My Hometown - Rory Gallagher

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 'JIMI' R.I.P.
A dull old day was Thursday with a dank feel throughout complete with an equally persistent and gusty North Easterly breeze. However, that aside, it was the day designate for the Strange Rover's annual dry-docking so it was a visit to Weymouth (my former hometown) and a couple of hours at my old stomping ground Radipole Lake. With a recent positive report of its continued presence there, high priority was given to the Hooded Merganser which is now in its 9th year of residence.
Given the conditions just about anything that stuck its head above
the parapet was considered 'fair game' to the lens, and started with
FERAL PIGEON
COOT
which have now disappeared from Parley Court Farm,
hardly any Gulls on the car park, which was considered unusual,
and a few dozen
TUFTED DUCK
with all the females keeping their heads down.
Having plied the track between Visitor's Centre and Sluices 3 times with
no sign of the illusive Duck we decided to walk the circular track
soon finding a resting
GREY HERON
and considered very lucky
although distant views of c2
MARSH HARRIER
We could well have done without the ever stiffening breeze
but the effect it was having on the 'dead heads' of the
COMMON REED
seemed therapeutic, while we don't think the passing
CORMORANT
even clapped eyes on us??
Next in the log was a first of the Autumn
COMMON GULL
but by no means as the name suggests back at PCF, just 5 records.
Back at the car park and there were a few more Birds to sort
through and included
MEDITERRANEAN GULL
a sightly closer
COMMON GULL
with a few
 BLACK_HEADED GULLs
HERRING GULL
along with
a couple more
MEDs
CORMORANT
LITTLE GREBE
and a far more active and obliging female
TUFTED DUCK
Just about to give up in favour of a few chores in town
and what should appear but the
HOODED MERGANSER
even catching Fish.
Where they went we cannot fathom, but the 2 best video clips
were lost in transit!
Finally, a Blast from the Past and
2008 when this fine Duck was first discovered!
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Friday 25 November 2016

Emerald - Thin Lizzy

We hadn't considered that at this late stage in the year that Moths and other Insects would continue to predominate these pages, but still they come. Not so the more northerly Birds though as it seems, like most other places in Dorset, that Redwing, Fieldfare etc are still to get this far south in any sort of numbers. They will also come when ready!
Emerald? That's a
 GEM
get it?
 GREEN-BRINDLED CRESCENT
ICHNEUMON MOLITORIUS
with a much smaller possible
PRISTIPHORA ABIETINA 
John Gifford never ceases to amaze me with his ID skills, was
only expecting the Big Lad to have been given a name - should have known better.
 DECEMBER MOTH
 SPRUCE CARPET
 and in the Oak Tree (looking splendid) trap
 BLAIR'S SHOULDER-KNOT
and hopefully the last
WASP
While we were stung 4 times last season by there beautifully marked
creatures, so far this year we have avoided such a pleasure.
Hope we haven't spoken too soon as there's still time yet!
At the Irrigation Pond the 'ringed'
MUTE SWAN
proved to be a little bolder, while a combination of other
Waterfowl there included
GADWALL, MALLARD and TEAL
with the male of the latter progressing nicely into
Winter Plumage
(first signs of the 'gold' quarter patches)
On the Heath we noted a comparison of leaf-fall between
 SALLOW
hardly changed and the
ASPEN
 which are all but totally bare, which was when c3 extremely vocal
GREEN SANDPIPER
flew overhead.
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