Monday 7 February 2022

Eternal Flame - The Bangles

 Still in 'catch-up mode' going back a bit it was 03:20 on the previous Sunday morning and had to ask myself the same question, “am I only dreaming or is this burning an eternal flame”, only way to find out was to swing out of the hammock and check? Yes, stood on the doorstep to the east a

TAWNY OWL

was knocking it out 'double four time' as we have found on many a winter's night since we arrived here. Convinced, given the mass vocals of late spring, that they have successfully bred across all of those years but with only single evidence of them having done so, when a lady resident pointed out

the activity within the cramped conditions of the
 DOVECOTE
where, to our knowledge only a single chick
had been brought off.
Returning to early morning Sunday, but particularly the hammock, we had hardly fluffed the pillow when there was another call to attend, that of a 
LITTLE OWL
this time to the west which is the direction of the only nest site in this
anciently pollarded
ASH
with suspicions of breeding over the years without substantial evidence, and with 2 additions to the Year List in quick succession it was back to the ZZzzzzzzzz's!
Another Firey Dawn
but daylight brought with it even more
MIST
as the sky above the Southern End filled with
JACKDAWs and ROOKs
From the Northern Ponds only a slightly better representation of the female
SHOVELER
still present and just look at those 'hooters'!
While back at Base Camp
and again from the doorstep these 2
GREEN WOODPECKERs
were captured eating their fill on the
Tennis Court.
To end the day, late afternoon and another
New Kid in Town
which may have been 'clicked' far better had we not been cackling to one of the regular anglers.
Undoubtedly a TUI but we don't remember seeing this Robinson varient before?