Here Comes Summer - Jerry Keller (and Cliff)

Only Joking - Don't Get Yer Hopes Up!

Yet another shabby day of fresh winds and dank outlook
but none too shabby at the Moth Traps, but firstly we had a guest at breakfast.

GREY SQUIRREL

captured from the doorway as the mandatory early morning coffee went down.
Not exactly bursting with Insects but a nice representation along with a teaser!

 LESSER BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING

 does have a lookalike in
Langmaid's Yellow Underwing
but trick is trying to view the underwing without damaging the insect!

 Lesser broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Langmaid's Yellow Underwing

 GRASS EMERALD

 along with a most attractive

 SYCAMORE
which were all 'firsts of the year' and additionally

 a dozen or so of these

 Diving Beetles
Now we don't want you going off thinking that we are getting into
Micro Moths
but when one of these pays a visit then you sit up and pay attention
at least I do.

ANANIA VERBASCALIS
a little beauty never seen before has no vernacular name but was rather
chuffed to have identified it correctly!
Quiet in the Wider World usually attracts 'repeats' but better than nowt, so the day went like this.
At both ponds 

 REED WARBLER's

 continue to be persistantly vocal but

 knocked into a 'cocked hat' by comparrison with the

COMMON WHITETHROAT's
Sad news is that we have not seen or hear a Sedge Warbler since thefirst influx in April so 
almost certain not to join the list of breeding birds here this year!
It is surely certain that one or maybe 2 of the 

 LITTLE GREBE's

but these days keeping a very low profile without any youngsters to tend!
There was also a rather interesting and for me unusual happening here as well
as the resident, for now at least, family of

COOT's
are once again building a nest with the juvenile bird helping with the construction??
Both

 CREEPING THISTLE
and

TREE MALLOW
are now in bloom there while within the
Solar Panel Compound

 was found a

far more obliging juvenile

MISTLE THRUSH
and finding this the reader might think that we would burst into the song

 I'm looking over a 4-leafed Clover that I've overlooked before

but being ex-Royal Navy am duty bound to warble the correct lyrics
I'm looking over a 3-Badged Stoker that I've overlooked before!
To say the Heath was quiet would be a huge understatement as only
the usually very nervous

STOCK DOVE
fell to the Canon
but there is other beauty and interest about.
With so many of these what look like pollarded

 SILVER BIRCH's
in what was once part of the New Forest
(and is still considered so in the Moth World) 
it makes me wonder if that is a fact or do they grow naturally like that?
Back to the Homestead and a look at the now blooming

Wild Flowers
around the main pond we also found the local 

 HOUSE SPARROW's

showing some interest in the now ripening

 ROSE HIPS

(we are hopeing the regular Bullfinches will be next)

while again the local

9H-BRE BOEING 737- 3Y0QC

seems to have got back into its schedule

as having been grounded since the out-break.

Cali'fawn'ication - Red Hot Chilli Peppers

After yesterday's little hiatus, which seems to have been enjoyed by one of our regular readers (see comments), we feel a little more 'back in the saddle' Particularly as there was a bit to be seen.

Unfortunately, that wasn't from the Moth Traps as far as New Insects are concerned, but even then there was a small flush of what might be considered  'second generation' Moths!

Best on Parade included

 IRON PROMINENT

 BARRED YELLOW

 NUT-TREE TUSSOCK

 and

 PEACH BLOSSOM

It is something of a sad sight to see the 

MUTE SWANs

on the main pond just sitting there day after day, heads under wings,

after 4 attempts at breeding and all resulting in failure!

A bit of a surprise, although we don't know why it should have been, as we reached the

 Irrigation Pond

 to find a 

SWALLOW

 busily collecting nesting material for maybe it's own

Second Generation.

It is from here that the tractor and bowser collect water on dry sunny days

to keep the dust levels down in the Eco Works and in so doing forming

the perfect collection point for th Hirrundine!

It was at the Gravel Pit that things turned musical not being able to resist whistling the 

Intro Lick to

Smoke on the Water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7ZF2xaNhyw

We all came out to Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile we didn't really have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers were at the best place around
But then some stupid with a flare gun burned the place to the ground

Smoke on the water, fire in the sky
Smoke on the water

then that catchy riff again!

From the album Machine Head - Deep Purple - as if you need telling.

However, it might be relevent to say that this was a Rock 'n' Roll moment that actually happened while Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were playing the Montreux Casino, Switzerland!

We visit the pond daily and have been trying to capture a few snaps/clips of the progress of the juv

 COOT

which is one of only 2 Waterfowl that have survived this year,

it's usually nearer 15 to 20?

with Mum.

It is now 3 years since we discovered the first and for all that time only

 PYRAMIDAL ORCHID

before finding 8 'spikes' of

BEE ORCHID

last year

which all suffered the same fate of being destroyed by those who should know better!

There has been no signs of re-generation this year!

Other Plant Life

included a fine example of

BIRCH TREE CANKER

Flavoparmelia caperata

a.k.a.

COMMON GREENSHIELD LICHEN

HEATH SPEEDWELL

along with bursting

GREATER REED MACE

in our wildest dreams we are now awaiting the arrival of c2

'masked denizens' of reed-beds

 BEARED TIT / REEDLING

and

PENDULINE TIT

both about as likely as me getting the drinks in!

Once again we find it totally impossible to pass-by either a juvenile

 MISTLE THRUSH

 or for that matter a

 yet another juvenile

STONECHAT

but stand advised they will very quickly become adults.

Thinking they were irresistable soon somewhat paled as inside the

Solar Panel Compound,

looking outwards to the path we had just trodden, we found this extremely young

ROE DEER

with no sign of a parent first of all

standing up

and then heard getting fractious on this clip.

Although about a week adrift we can also tell that

RYANAIR

are also undertakeing shedualed flights from / to

Bournemouth International Airport