Friday 31 March 2017

Three Billy Goats Gruff - Norwegian Fairy Tale

 Well, not quite in fact the wrong sex but you get the gist!
In essence this Post is simply to introduce our
'Valued Readers'
to the new arrivals on the Heath.
For a number of weeks now a high fence has been erected around the
proposed grazing area where it is hoped these animals will be of benefit
to stimulate new/better growth across this valuable habitat.
Alison, the Livestock Lady in Waiting,
surely there will be some kind of 'politically correct' title but........
New accommodation for the immigrants,
wouldn't mind one of these myself as long as allowed to live here as well!
The moment we had all been waiting for,
and here are the
girls themselves and all c3
'In Kid' (pregnant).
The rest of the Welcoming Committee muster as the
Rare Breed
BAGOT GOATS
(further reading)
A proud looking Gary Clarke, Alison's predecessor,
and now Head of Exotics at Winchester Agricultural College.
To my knowledge they haven't been given names
but are individually recognisable by
Horn Structure.
This one has a cracked horn, causing no discomfort,
while the horns on this form a wide V.
The first out of the trailer (above) has its horns grown much closer together.
All else on the day were a pair of
SHELDUCK
which quickly took to the wing, along with a far more obliging
BLACK-HEADED GULL
which looked like it was on a nest rather than too puffed out to take off.
The SHELDUCK 
were relocated at the Irrigation Pond close by,
where they seemed far more settled allowing for a clip of both
MALE
and
FEMALE
Bad news from the Solar Panel Compound were it was found that the
Large Redundant Cable Drums
had been removed, so unlikely there will be any nesting
Pied Wagtail
on this site this year??
In sharp contrast to that, c2 (a pair?) of
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER
were found within what, since the construction of the panels, has become an
Undisturbed Breeding Site
we will be keeping an eye on them from a distance.
There's one in every family, usually me!
while the following morning the
BAGOTS
seem to have taken very well to their new quarters.
The  
BELTED GALLOWAYS
also seem to be showing great interest but more we feel this is no more than
cupboard love, their interest only lying with the food pellets
(if they could get at them) than the Goats themselves?
There will be another, something of a 'self indulgent'
Post tomorrow, to kick off the new month! 
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Wednesday 29 March 2017

SongBird - Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)

We are a number of days adrift with this particular Post, so if in part it
doesn't fit in historically with previous issues then please accept our apologies!
Another addition to the 2017 Moth List is
YELLOW HORNED
 Not only the first
 TUFTED DUCK
 of the year for our
Recording Area
but also the First Diving Duck of any description.
Here seen with passing Gadwall.
From then on it was left to the
such as our first vocal
SKYLARK
of the year along with
COAL TIT
 MEADOW PIPIT
 LINNET
with an unseen Wren providing the descant.
As punctuation our first Butterfly of the year represented by
SMALL TORTOISESHELL
and back to the last of the vocalists
CHIFFCHAFF
 To end just a couple or three shots
 from the top of the 20 foot high, and now grass covered, bund
 that surrounds the back end of the
ECO RECYCLING WORKS
and finally, while remaining with the subject of SongBirds this clip was found
on a recent brows through Facebook - brought me to tears!
Stairway to Heaven
Just look at the expressions on the faces of the 3 surviving members of
Led Zeppelin.
left to right John Paul Jones, Robert Plant (close to tears himself) and Jimmy Page.
We also believe that's Bonzo's Nipper (Jason) on drums?
What a Composition, What a Rendition!
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Monday 27 March 2017

The Best Mandarin Song - Leo Tiam Siong Nyi

Bit of a Shot In The Dark - But Not Displeasing 
With overnight temperatures continuing to kiss the lower reaches of double digits
here over a short period now,
we have been seeing some returns for the Moth Traps including:-
the striking
OAK BEAUTY
along with decent numbers of
HEBREW CHARACTER
Additionally, there has also been a bit of avian activity with a
40+ flock of
LAPWING
circling the Common
but only c2 brave enough

to land.
EGYPTIAN GOOSE
activity continues, but not yet recorded on a daily basis,
while there has been just a hint of displaying.
This was followed, on the same day, by the discovery of a 'pair' of
MANDARIN
on the Moors River with the fanciful prediction being
"if tree nesting birds such as the Egyptian Geese can breed here (as they do)
then why not 'tree nesting' Mandarin"? We will be keeping a lookout.
 Can you see it yet?
ROE DEER
Only 2 days later we managed to secure these 2 clips,
since when we ain't seen hide nor hair of them!

 MANDARIN (female)
MANDARIN (male)
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