The Blues and the Buffs

Another frustratingly late start to yesterday due to continuing

high winds and heavy rain showers, but on reflection had we commenced at any

other time the cupboard may have remained bare?

Confining ourselves to the northern areas of the Recording Area, while

abandoning the Heath altogether, the stop at the Irrigation Pond found not only had

 COOT

numbers increased but some serious

 contesting balance of power

 which did seem particularly

 early in the year?

Next door at the Gravel Pit it immediately looked to be "same old" until a

KINGFISHER

(first of the blues and buffs)

flew in a most sparodic species in these more northern climes.

Next port of call wwere the eastern horse paddocks where all the feeding birds,

mostly Black-headed Gulls, Redwing and Pied Wagtail had gone but leaving a lone

 NUTHATCH

(the second)

 feeding among the mighty Oaks.

Returning along the main bridleway the bird that flew ahead had all the attributes of a male

MERLIN

 only confirmed on second and third very good flight views.

Never anywhere near the Canon the line drawing

adequately emphasises the point.

Here are a few images of a female Merlin at work on a Redwing

aboard the woman I once loved before she headed to the Breakers Yard at

 Dales Voe, Lerwick the Main Town and Port of

The Shetland Islands, Scotland

 Millions upon Millions

 of Birds must have overflown or landed on that

Fine Old Lady

some considered rare or uncommon but certainly worth a Post on its own

hopefully sometime soon?

 Considered a most entertaining 'hat-trick' we now turn our attention back to the post of 18/02/20

The Young Ones
where we introduced our 3 younger appretices and waxed lyrical about
the talents of apprentice and seamstress Chloe.
On one of those images of the new upholstery there is a shot of a Scallop Shell
which 3 of our readers have shown interest in and all considering it looks rather large.

With time constraints visiting us we will have to abandon the plan to explain the significance of the 

Shell but will do our best to address that tomorrow!

Sheep - Pink Floyd (from the album Animals)

A modicum of change yesterday with nothing overly

exciting but for once there were a few Birds about, but firstly a

Moment of Mirth

 outside of the Fencing Centre another delivery from Lichfield.

There are always between 10 and 15 such loads, mostly from Eastern Europe, each week.

Wouldn't want to be driving that down the M25 with Dennis on the Starboard Beam!

The days wander started prety much as usual with Coot, Moorhens, Little Grebes and Tufted Ducks still in attendance, but at the Sewerage works fence this female

 BLACKCAP

 showed herself a couple of times but only briefly.

It was then noticed that there were LOTS of 'migrants' about as last years

Ewes returned from mid-Dorset where the Lambs were born overwinter in special barns.

It can also be seen that the 

Little Gentlemen in the Black Velvet Coat

(Mr Mole)

have been hard at it as well.

Usually about 600, will have to confirm that with Lauran the Sheepherdess,

which will also come under my watchful eye!

With nothing else showing itself inbetween  it was onward to the

Heath

where first to show were a dozen so

also likely returning

MEADOW PIPITS

Not thought ever to be completely absent, as we do hear their calls from time to time,

both

 DARTFORD WARBLER and STONECHAT

were on view

 STONECHAT 

(female)

 STONECHAT

(male)

 DARTFORD WARBLER

(male)

On the way back one of the 

Street Sweeping Vehicles

had managed to drive into the roadside ditch and as stepping into 

Slight Return a

LITTLE EGRET 

flew along the course of the still swollen

River Stour

at quite close quarters.

The Tale of an Unmarried Moth'er

Over 2,500 species of Moths have been recorded from across the British Isles with more being added often on an annual basis. These are split into 2 distinct divisions of Macro-moths, of which there are around 800 species and Micro’s which form the other 1,700 or so species. While all of the former have a vernacular name, as well as Latin, there are but a few micros do so with the vast majority only having a Latin monika. No surprises then to hear, around this neck of the woods, those immortal words - “we don’t do Micro’s”!! One has to have some command of the ancient language or be able to memorise the name of each Insect, which is well beyond a silly ol’ duffer like me, but do admire and wonder at those who do so. Another pointer, that should be guarded, is that in general terms the macros are larger in size but that does not apply across the board. For instance the

Box-tree Moth Cydalima perspectalis 

is probably 2 or 3 times larger than the diminutive macro

Cream-bordered Green Pea Earias clorana  

As far as the headline is concerned it wasn’t always like that as during the mid-70’s we, as a family, lived at the top of the hill overlooking most of Wyke Regis village and Portland Harbour. It was during this time period that one of my frequent visits to the Portland Bird Observatory coincided with a then much younger Martin Cade (now Warden of that fine establishment) monitoring the moth traps and brought up onto the patio, to show those assembled, a 

Convolvulous Hawk-moth

It was this that set me about converting an old dustbin into a trap and running it on every night possible. In addition, luminary Norman Hall also came into my life with his vast knowledge and bespoke (for Mothing) Datsun van. On each of his visit after that he would call in and stay for dinner, help with outstanding identifications before topping up his huge water bottles prior to the next hunt.

Also at that time access was afforded to the area of East Weares occupied by the Royal Navy and where 2 old ammunition boxes were also converted and run as traps. Some success was found at both stations when catching in my garden only the 16^th 

Dewick’s Plusia 

ever to have been recorded on our shores, while at the other site c2

Portland Ribbon Wave’s 

were also secured. It was only after ‘her indoors’ uttered those all too long awaited words, “you can leave now Bagsy”, was it realised that she meant, leave the house, leave all the furniture, leave the money and the car and sling your hook! Freedom at last but for my new home, in the heart of the concrete jungle, conditions were nowhere near suitable, so it was many years later, after retirement, that I found myself in East Dorset.

With an extraordinary amount of help from long standing friends Paul Harris and Dave Foot we were “on the road again” as Canned Heat once said, since when never looking back - life really is a dream!!

With c5 traps blazing away every night it is now safe to claim the title of

Unmarried Moth’er

However it doesn’t end there as what more joy could a Septuagenarian find than to pass on the word to other much younger interested parties. Among those who occassionaly attend the traps are the adult Chloe who has sailed the Atlantic Ocean with just a single crew mate, and children Oliver, who you will meet shortly, plus Josh and Sophie who are already on your radar. They are all interested in the other aspects of Wildlifing as well and are refered to as my Apprentices.

 The Mk 1 Dave Built Moth Trap

 Even at the tender age of 4 years little

Sophie (and Josh)

 have no fear of handling these delicate creatures.

White Points in both cases

 and even the

 LEVIATHANS

Privet Hawk-moth

 One of the most Eminent Gentlement of Lepidoptery and author of

British Pyralid Moths

BARRY GOATER

 DAVE

 EQUIPMENT

 and

ME

in our little corner of Paradise

Apologies to Paul and Phil for none appearance as images have been misplaced.

Maybe this will save a little embarrasment for one!

Bird of Prey - Uriah Heep

from the album 'Salisbury'

Another gloomy and showery day brought no more to a morning in the field

than what has of late been the norm! All of minor note was the pre-dawn screeching

of one, or maybe both, 

KESTREL(s)

 which are garden birds here. The bonus came when opening 

the door to welcome the new day and watch one of them plunge to earth catching

(most likely) a

SHORT-TAILED FIELD VOLE

An abundant Mammal here with no fewer than 28 burrows under my 

home alone and where they are occassionally fed.

                                       A few more images from the archive s’il vous plaît.

For the last 4 years they have successfully bred in the stable,

no mor than a stone's throw from here, and what a delight to watch the progression!

 Last Years Juveniles

 and

 their

MISFORTUNES

 

 a waterlogged juvenile male

 SHORT-TAILED FIELD VOLE

 Back to 'the' day and all else was mechanical including the continuation of the hedge trimming,

 Roadside Verge Motocross

 and the

 change-out of some

 Solar Panel Transformers