On the Level - Level 42 (Part II)

 Dave would roundly agree that our second and final stop is something of a favourite for us both

as the parapit of the bridge affords wide and far reaching veiws not only of the

 Somerset Levels

with attendant Swans all local Mutes
with no signs yet of their more northern cousins Bewick's and Whooper

and also the regular trains with other Waterfowl

including

POCHARD

our own resident species of
WIGEON

male top and female

but during all of the many visits made across many years we have never found a confirmed answer as to what these beautifully colouful rows of
OSIER WILLOWs
are grown for, best bet Basket Making?

CORN BUNTING

were also on view and vocal.

COMMON SNIPE

PINTAIL
and

a decent numbers of

GOLDEN PLOVER

with our collective favourites left almost until last

flying and in the meadows

COMMON CRANE
This tail-ender only possed for a matter of seconds not allowing for a posative I.D.
but may well have been a

BANK VOLE

one from the archive.

There's Gold in Them There Hills

 As the year gets shorter so the daily Moth List follows suit, but turn your back for just a moment

and you may miss the Goodie which in this instance was a

GOLDEN TWIN-SPOT
something of a 'scarcity' to say the least, needing a "little help from our friends", and cetainly only our second ever.
The total overnight catch was no more than 4 x 5 but not to be sniffed at with a back-up cast of another migrant in the form of a

COSMOPOLITAN
with the 'also-rans' amounting to just a couple of

TURNIP MOTH
(pale form)

(along with the more usual) 

 and a

DECEMBER MOTH

for good measure.

Up at the

Sewerage Works,
which forms the most northerly boundry of the Recording Area, it looks as if

CHIFFCHAFF/s

are already settling in for the bounty that comes from the wealth of Insects associated with the warmth from the plant (mechanical that is) over-winter while back at the Ponds the loan

COOT
remains in-situ taking our thoughts back to the pre-nesting

squabbles associated with that time of year,

blink and it will be with us again!
Additionally, there are still c3 (one just dived)

LITTLE GREBEs
thought to be of this years vintage along with both

parent

BIRDS

On the Level - Level 42 (Part 1)

 A telephone call from Dave Foot on Saturday alerted me to his intent of visiting the Somerset Levels once again and inviting me along, but the joy would start before leaving home. 05:30 the following day both 

LITTLE OWL
and

TAWNY OWL
were singing their hearts out, close to the River Stour, before mounting the trusty steed and heading for Dorchester. Along the long wall that protects Charbough Park (home of Richard Drax M.P. for Dorset) a flighty 

BARN OWL

made up the Hat-Trick of there kind before reaching the rendezvour and altering course to a more northerly heading. Hopes were high to see the usual plethora of Birds and hopefully Animals across these huge wet-lands but focus was to be firmly on a certain Feathered Friend from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean!

Just a little over an hour later we were surveying the vastness of these, at that time,

mist-logged areas from a high vantage point then soon into the

Car Park

and enjoying the wealth of
WAYFARING TREE BERRYS

with a single

MARSH HARRIER
already circling overhead and while still only a few onlookers some were already reassuring us that the Object of Our Desire
was still in attendance and showing just reasonably well.

We always pay attention to this nifty little gateway cum shelter leading to the pathway to the children's  play and outside educationnal area, before the next contender showed its hand.

Certainly the Tallest Kid on the Block, one of good numbers of

GREAT WHITE EGRET
(dropping the WHITE bit if you prefer?)

Already a 'few keen enthusiasts'

were watching the every move of the

Trans-Atlantic Visitor an

AMERICAN WIGEON

and before departing for other areas for myself it was the first sighting

for the back-end of the year of both

FIEDFARE

and a close cousin in the

REDWING
newly arrived from Scandinavia.

Part II manana if all goes to plan.