Hercules Unchained

About the only advantage of being on your own, lonely, unhappy, no one to talk to, overlooked, nothing to do (and all day to do it in), mistreated and penniless is that once you make a Plan for the day nothing, but nothing will waver you from your chosen track. Simple, step one visit J Arthur Sainsbury and Co Ltd, purveyors of 2 packets of Honey Roast Peanuts, 6 cases of cheap Merlot and a box of Kleenex to keep the tears at bay and you're off. Next, over to the Office to print a number of Wildlife Reports and finally clean and stow away most of the Moth Traps until early next Spring. 

Despite a temperature of -5°C, a reasonably heavy frost and light mist

the sun was peaking above the treetops as I set off to visit the afore mentioned grocer. The short list filled and a little banter with the 'check-out' lady and I was on my way back for Phase II. That's when that 'squealing binta' cackled into life announcing a mobile phone call. Most likely Condoleezza Rice seeking advise but I won't pick up even for her whilst behind the wheel. Next port of call was to be the Irrigation Pond, not 5 minutes away, so it could wait until then. On arrival I found 'white van man' parked right across MY entrance and felt a skirmish was close at hand, but was pleasantly surprised to find it was my friend Dave Foot. My unwavering plan only wavered for about a split second before we headed off to find the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker everything else 'back-heeled' including composing and posting this Blog. The rest of the day was spent 'in the field' together, Dave not heading back to Weymouth until the Full Moon was well above the horizon. So, with my plan in absolute tatters I get round to reporting on the last 3 days. At least on Moth Trap has been activated each night but only to the tune of

RED-LINE QUAKER

CHESTNUT
and

WINTER MOTH
but there lurking in the bottom of one was a Micro which looked interesting?

As we don't do Micros (whoops, I wasn't going to say that again) the images were sent out to some of the Moth'ing Community where it caused a little consternation until an identification was finally agreed. This tiny Insect is usually on the wing in Spring, after which it hibernates until the next year. It was considered that during the period the temperature must have risen enough to wake it from its sleep and send it winging its way to me!

ACLERIS HASTIANA

The Pond on Wednesday was visited by a familiar band of

MUTE SWANs

P7E and his Family Group

with the Ring No of the other adult bird also being revealed.
Most of the following 2 days were spent carting around the Farm

seeing just how many species of Winter birds could be found.

Up to c3

LITTLE EGRET
are now being seen daily.

CORMORANT

on a high perch before I happened along

and spooked it.

Jay
are now becoming thinner on the ground likely due to the total failure
of the Acorn crop?

BROWN HARE
as ever running in the opposite direction.

ROE DEER

and a few

MALLARD
on the 'flight pond'.

Oh, more Roe Deer

The 'nomadic' Mute Swans had followed me to the Southern Section.

First alerted to the presence of c2

TREECREEPER
by their plaintive, wispy call

not at all common here, or 'overlooked'?

ROBIN

GREY WAGTAIL

in the stable yard was the first seen here

for 2 weeks.

and finally, when you find yourself just in the right place

at the right time,

it would be foolish not to just keep snapping away

until the

HERCULES TRANSPORT

has flown directly over your head and landed at

BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
THERE'S MORE TO COME SO DON'T GO AWAY!

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Here Comes the Flood - Peter Gabriel

Here Comes the Flood 

 If you Love lyrics, this is the song for you!

With no more than a smidgen of ground frost, a gentle breeze from the north and this kind of

DAWN
breaking over Harbins, what more would you want?
Well, a few Moths would be nice which is exactly what we got!

MOTTLED UMBER

DECEMBER MOTH

ANGLE SHADES

and the dead remains of what is likely a
RED-GREEN CARPET
are all 'common', have all been caught before but hey it's a tickle.

With December over the horizon since the last post, my new month resolution is to get out in the field a little more and be a little more diligent recording whatever is seen. On day one I was blessed by a visit from an Old Flame, the detail of which stay 'close to the chest', but next day opened with great delight. Confining myself to the Northern Sector of the Farm, on the waterlogged waste land at the back of the Eco Recycling Plant c61 Mallard, c34 Common Snipe, a Teal and a

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
were flushed, the latter being a new species for the property.
That being just about all the damage that could be done, it was worth
a plod through the surface water and marsh just in case anything else
was lurking within. It was, and Jack Snipe quickly joined the day list.
Both Ducks and Waders were circling overhead so I retreated to a
safe distance and watched then settle back in this favoured spot.

Only a very distant estimate of numbers could be made of the small

LAPWING
flock

with 50+ going into the log.

STARLING

was going to be even more difficult as very mobile but of these

there were thought to be more than 200.

No difficulty counting the other
Wing'ed Squadrons of the Skies
before plodding on to the

IRRIGATION POND
where water levels have got to the extreme.
The tiny dot which can just be seen slightly above dead centre

is now all that remains visible (as a Shark Fin) of the formed Isthmus.

This was the last image before it started raining all those days ago.

As a complete coincidence to the effort put in by Chris Sugden
I too had made an effort to protect hibernating Herptiles,
Amphibians, Reptiles etc
by laying these sheets of galvanised metal around the pond. 

While disturbing such creatures during their long rest is a sensitive
issue, the intent will be to raise each just once a moth to record whatever
my have decided to over-winter there.

Chris's work still continues with yet another
series of bore holes each awaiting another new sapling.
To conclude, from the distant east I received these rather nice
photographs from my friends

Jean Francois and Roong Ozoux
taken in their garden in in Phuket, Thailand
after returning from a trip to Alaska.

 BROWN-BREASTED SUNBIRD

 PIED STARLING
Remembering the great times we spent together in French Guyana, I thank you both for remembering me.
And from a far shorter distance to the west a photo of Portland's latest

REEVE STAFF
best to leave you to read what you will about the 'ancient'
Portland Court Leet
 via this link to Wikipedia, save to say that my dear friend
Jane White (wife of the Secret Leomonade Drinker) has been
inaugurated as the latest of an exceptionally long line in the Office of
'REEVE' of the COURT LEET of PORTLAND.
We wish her well.

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