Sunday 7 August 2016

(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

With just +9C showing on the dawn thermometer on Friday it was
considered, being early August and all, that things couldn't get much worse!
However, yesterday morning proved us wrong dropping yet another degree
which has been reflected at the Moth Traps with further poor returns.
Qualifying as the Best were
 YELLOW SHELL
 DARK UMBER
 DINGY FOOTMAN
 and
DARK SPECTACLE
 in addition there were a couple of rather interesting and eye-catching
Beetles
 ORANGE and BLACK SEXTON BEETLE
 and a new Insect altogether for our Recording Area
DOCK SHIELDBUG
Checking next Parley Pond there was the usual
commotion and charge of the resident 'ferals' but nothing else,
while at the Irrigation Pond things were even more quiet
 with just a single
COOT CHICK
starting to investigate the Big Wide World.
On Merritown Heath, or more particularly at the
 NETTED BALANCING POND
 and looking West along the tributary
there were a heart-warming
 half dozen juvenile
 GREY WAGTAIL
but never more than one in the viewfinder at any given moment.
Walking back in that direction we found
 a number of
MINER BEE
excavations, usually 'capped' at this time of year, but maybe the
unseasonabley wet weather has prevented that thus far?
 Along with a couple of stands of the invasive
 ORANGE HAWKWEED
From an identification by Bob Ford we can now tell you that this is a
BELGIAN ARMED FORCES SEA KING
 At the other end of our beat of the tributary we took a moment
to look back on ourselves,
before noticing, tucked away in this western corner,
 our second
COMMON SNIPE
of the Summer seemingly unphased at our presence.
It has been an EXCELLENT breeding year right across our 'Patch' for
GREEN WOODPECKER
 with the Heath being no exception.
We find it impossible not to indulge in a few shots!
and finally, from the
Trail Cameras
we have secured a new Species by way of a
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
along with what has now become the ubiquitous
JUVENILE STONECHAT
Entry

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