I Can See Clearly Now Lorraine Has Gone

Since our last Post we have recorded nothing more than 

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER

locally as an addition to the Year List.

However, Sunday 3rd January 2016, which now seems a light year away, was for me the day of an unexpected treat. Bernard, my daughter Lisa and the rest of the York family are due to return to Australia mid-month (YES that's 3 years gone in a flash) with our final farewell date having been set for the 5th inst. However, enter stage left my former Lady Friend Lorraine inviting us all to lunch at her house in West Sussex last Sunday. A day of torrential rain, which wasn't going to make one iota of difference to our get together, but even then a detour via  

was thought likely to produce at least a couple of additions to the

Bird Year List.

Residents here include Mandarin Duck and Marsh Tit but neither

were stupid enough to be out in such weather!

All that could be mustered were a lone

 MUSCOVY DUCK

(which wouldn't quite make the cut)

and a similarly single

 NUTHATCH

(grand total for the year now stands at 48)

 Lorraine and I had chance to catch up and reminisce

(some of the BEST years of my life without a doubt)

before the York's turned up mob-handed.

LISA, BERNARD (now Captain Bernard York Royal Australian Navy).

Elizabeth and Alexander.   

 Benjamin, Alex and

 Frederick,

 while

Lorraine and Lisa took to the kitchen.

(dare not put my thoughts)

 DADDIES GIRL?

 I certainly don't do Christmas, and don't have one clue what to buy

young children at any other time, including birthdays, but did have one

thing to give which as far as material things go is about the closest to my heart.

Of my limited number of achievements in life, becoming a 

SUBMARINER

and being part of that Service for a number of years was about as

good as it got (including my Mate and Master's qualifications) so it

was decided to bestow, on each of the Grandchildren, the 'eternal gift'
and distinction of becoming

 An insignia worn with the greatest of pride

 throughout the rest of my 38 year career at sea.
(note the additional becket which one day will hold a memory stick
complete with the Bagsy Memoir)

It will take them a while to get the knack of pinning them to their chests

 but that won't concern a

Most Proud

Grandpa Bagsy

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Yesterday - The Beatles

A LATE POST THAT HAD BEEN LOST IN THE MACHINE

and REFERS TO DECEMBER PAST!

Well, we did succumb to dragging one of the Moth Traps back into operation just before Christmas but way too late to capitalise on the 'purple patch' which preceded our efforts. During that short period of south westerly and balmy airflow such unexpected 'goodies' to be found around the County and elsewhere included

 CRIMSON SPECKLED (Wiki for illustration)

STRIPED HAWK-MOTH

MECIDEA

(image from a fellow Moth'er)

an Insect from Africa which is a FIRST for Great Britain.

Other stuff seen or heard in our Recording area before Christmas included

CURLEW

DUNNOCK

KESTREL
still successfully hunting Merritown Heath.

Plenty of
CHAFFINCH

GOLDFINCH and LINNET

and just the odd
GREY WAGTAIL

COMMON BUZZARD

Closer shots of

GOLDFINCH
and

LINNET
and we feel sure we are wandering around here with our eyes shut.

Since the report some weeks ago now ref the unusual sighting of a
BMI BABY
our sharp-eyed reader and helper John Gifford noted that it has no engines.
There is a long winded story about this but too long to relate right now.

Anyroad, on closed inspection it was found that the other 5 aircraft,
which have been on the pan long before my arrival are also engine-less.
Yes, we do know that the likes of Rolls Royce only 'hire' their engines.

KESTREL
(perched)

and what is hoped will be the final 'top dressing' at the
Balancing Pond.

We will continue to keep you Posted!

A quarter of a dozen video clip driving back across an almost deserted
Merritown Heath.

MOORS RIVER
before it flooded and the 

OAK TREES
still holding on to their leaves despite all the wind and rain.

Dead BADGER
(cause unknown but completely de-furred)

THE NEW DOG FENCE around HARBINS LAWN

from left

Janet's brother Martin, youngest son Gavin, Martin's son Lawrence and Janet.

and finally a couple of images of

BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE

taken by Hugh on his and Janet's holiday to France early December.

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(Just) Another Day - Paul McCartney

There was a bit of a frost at 03:00 on New Year's morning which was the time we started out New Year's Day Twitch confined to our own Recording Area. Just a hour on Owl Patrol without result so best bet was to return to the hammock! Not always fully reliable, but the forecast for the day pointed to a game of 2 halves, calm and dry throughout the forenoon followed by a wet pm, on the strength of that we made our plan. Fortunately, it was pin-point accurate so the walk of just about every inch of the Southern Sector was dry and without hardly a breath of wind. The 'dawn chorus' consisted of a combination of

ROBIN

over-flying
CARRION CROWs

BLACKBIRD

SONG THRUSH

PHEASANT

WOOD PIGEON

WREN

and
MAGPIE

if indeed that qualifies as a song?
Before arriving at 

PARLEY POND

BLACK-HEADED GULL
were already there and also feeding in the nearby paddocks while

MALLARD
much reduced in numbers seem content to cruise the watercourse.

MOORHEN
now also seem to favour the lush grass of the paddocks, where there
were already c10 hard at it. What turned out to be the 'bonus' of the day
was the

LITTLE GREBE
which only arrived there a couple of days ago and proved not to be
the 'long-stayer' from the Gravel Pit. However, that individual although
recorded over the past 2 month was not found on the day.
A short detour to the Harbins Bird Table was something of a damp squib
as only

HOUSE SPARROW

BLUE TIT
and a single

GOLDFINCH
were showing any interest. Absent and not seen over the course of the day were
Great Spotted Woodpecker and Collared Dove.

The
RIVER STOUR
was already at High Tide but the little overnight rain seemed to have swollen it even more?

COMMON BUZZARD
flew over as half a dozen

CORMORANT
were flushed from riverside trees.
With only a single Cetti's Warbler recorded last year there was little hope
of one on the day, and what self respecting Kingfisher was going to lend
itself to these flooded conditions - NONE! However, a couple of

GREEN WOODPECKER
were yaffling in the distance and as ever it didn't take long to find a

PIED WAGTAIL

It would have been a sad day if

 GOLDCREST

had not been found along this stretch, one of their favourite areas as is for

 DUNNOCK

While both Northern Thrushes betrayed their presence on call

 FIELDFARE

was first to show followed by a fairly long

 GREY HERON

 HERRING GULL

 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL

 LONG-TAILED TIT

 ROOK

 JACKDAW

 STARLING

interlude, that

 REDWING

(far more numerous on the 'day count) put in an appearance.

 MUTE SWAN

(one of several images from the archive herein)

is the one that graced the Parley Court Farm

Christmas Invitation Cards

 Just wait until we get the 'ROYALTIES', then we'll have a real party.

PS - it might be a while?

 CHAFFINCH

and

 GREENFINCH

in quick succession preceded what had to be the 

Bird of the Day

 LITTLE EGRET

a little sporadic hereabouts.

 MEADOW PIPIT

and

 GREAT TIT

were both a long time coming, and it was a further very muddy walk

to secure

 STOCK DOVE

in the Maize Stubble Field.

Only a single male

 REED BUNTING

was recorded all day and it was though unusual to find a small flock of

LINNET 

at this end of the farm.

It was noon when we started to head North but not before recording

the demise of the 

 DOVECOT,

last years breeding site for the local Tawny Owl,

a victim of the high winds, and the first

 DAFFODILS

seemingly seeking a lee behind a Staddle Stone, plus 'dipping' on

Grey Wagtail at the Equestrian Centre - who'd a thought it?

That's when the rain started and a blessing went up that at least this

section can be covered in your average

STRANGE ROVER.

No Bullfinch on the road to Eco and none anywhere else come to that,

but a

 KESTREL

was perched waiting outside of the Re-Cycling Works.

 STONECHAT

have been absent, or more likely overlooked, recently so welcome

to find one at the Solar Panel Farm along with just a single

 COAL TIT

at the Sewerage Works.

It was the huge muddy puddle left by the contractors that 

produced the only

 GREY WAGTAIL

of the day, but not so the Green Sandpiper as previously.

It was only the fact that the Moors River was also swollen that brought both

 TEAL

and

 CANADA GEESE

to light, had it not been so they would not have been paddling around the open fields.

The rain was now hammering down and another quirk of fate sent us to 

complete the great circle track rather that retrace our steps

which resulted in finding c4

MISTLE THRUSH

the 46th and final specie of the day. The only Mammal seen was Roe Deer

and while we are not going to break any record (not that we want to)

it was fantastic to be out in this small corner of PARADISE once again.

WE'VE SAID IT BEFORE and WE'LL SAY IT AGAIN

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our

VALUED READERS

PASS THE LINK ON PLEASE!

UK did sneak into Pole Position for a short time yesterday, but it was short. Welcome back Germany!

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