Tuesday 29 March 2016

Stormy Monday - T-Bone Walker

Following on from the extra Post of Monday we can now
report that a second
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER 
They call it Stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad!
A few days of both wet and windy weather have ensued making it almost impossible to walk the Recording Area and is likely what is keeping most migrant birds at bay? It's on such days that the Strange Rover comes into its own making for not only a dry outing but also serving as an ideal Bird Hide (or 'blind' for you guys across the pond) allowing in some instances close encounters. See previous Post.

When visible SUNSET has coincided with a
 'FULL' MOON RISE
with Jupiter in close attendance but
unfortunately doesn't show on this image.
Moths also have been scarce despite a reasonable rise in
overnight temperatures but there has been
 another new species for 2016
 TWIN-SPOTTED QUAKER
and in the traps at the same time
 A really smart and tiny 'species' of
BEMBIDION BEETLE
thought most likely to be
PUNCTULATUM
along with the Micro Moth
DEORESSARIA DAUCELLA
we still don't do Micros so ID credits should go to
John Gifford for the Beetle and Dave Foot for the latter.
A little late in coming, but we have now finally got round to publishing
these images of a
GOSHAWK
which we very fortunately made contact with some days ago.
Not surprisingly, for such a 'rare' species in Dorset,
it was another addition to the
Year List.
The same has to be said of
YELLOWHAMMER
which showed itself
on the same day.
All birds are now getting into their prime but none more so than
GREAT TIT
and
BLUE TIT
The first of this years
CHAROLAIS CALVES
GREYLAG GEESE
NETTING
now in place over part of the Balancing Pond.
Living in such close proximity to an International Airport
one has to be tolerant of aircraft noise pollution with the exception of
these regular visiting
CHINOOKS
which get right on my Coal, Blue, Great and Long-tailed!
The new CHICKS arrived in the week, a lucky half dozen
saved from the clutches of Mr Heinz.
and we also had a short visit from our friend Dave Foot earlier in the week
who managed to secure these 2 video clips.
In my case it was only luck that allowed brief glimpses of the Woodpecker!

TRAIL CAMERAS UPDATE
GREY SQUIRREL
MAGPIES
WOOD PIGEON, PIED WAGTAIL, CARRION CROW
and before we say hasta la vista a couple or 3 images from our friends
Roong and Jean Francois in Thailand 
CRESTED GOSHAWK
in their garden pond,
 ASIAN OPENBILL
with 
GIANT SNAIL
and
ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE
"Oh for one of them on Merritown".
There is something a little uncanny about the combination of the Blog Stats and the continuation of the Bagsy Memoir, Not for the fist time has the start of a new chapter coincided with the appearance of that particular country on the list below. On this occasion it was my first visit to Poland in 2006 and what a memorable visit that was, we will try and dig out a few images as an extra Post in the week. 
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260
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China
15
Germany
12
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10
Canada
9
Estonia
9
New Zealand
7
Poland
6