Waders of the Lost Cause (pun)

The inclement weaather persists seeminly sending Bird and Mammal alike
to ground, and not to be outdone Moths also with a single exception.
The status of

 GOLD SWIFT
here is not known although rarely captured

 this being jst the second since 2014.
The high winds didn't help the photograph.
Harking back to the reference of recieving Wildlife Reports from other parts of the county,

via various Web-sites, the news of Little Ringed Plover successfully breeding at

 Lytchett Fields on the cusp of Poole Harbour

was recieved as something of a

Double Edged Sword.

The thrill of such a thing, particularly on ones own patch, is well known to me but, unlike those at Lytchett which will be properly protecteded ours, as Led Zeppelin would put it were simply

"Trampled Under Foot"!

 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

newly arrived from their Winter Quarters maybe as far away as Africa

 start surveying the large gravelled area inside the

 Solar Panel Compound

 Prospective Nest Site

where what appears to be 

'random stone throwing' takeing place

 but not a bit of it as each pebble or tiny flint

 ends up forming the almost perfect circle of a nest on the ground.

Incubation

Then There Were Three

Genesis

the most adult birds seen at any one time was c6.

 Just Out of the Egg

 Juveniles growing by the minute 10 days old.

 2 weeks

 and then

Still and Clip

of juvenile 25 Days Old.

Having availed the parent company of their presence they even agreed to a 'site meeting' allowing me to point out the exact location of the nests with a request for ALL PARTIES to keep clear of that area!
This most certainly fell on deaf ears and cannot imagine these 2 companies had ever heard of a
Risk Assesment
as the following year what had then become a small colony fell to the grass cutters, who had not been briefed, with not a single bird having been seen here since!!!!
A prima facia case was produced by then PC Clair Dinsdale (now Sergent Dinsdale) of the 
Dorset Constabulary Wildlife Division
(as contrary to the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act)
but not followed through due to lack of manpower.
An attempt was made to follow up personally, but you try and find a 'Brief' who is willing to take on a Wildlife case - there seemed to be "no such animal"!
Money Wins Again!

Never on Sunday - Melena Mercouri

 who was first to sing this pleasant little ballard

in the film of the same name!

Never say Never as usually something can be found which

yesterday morning started in the garden with what looked every bit like c3 predated

PHEASANT EGGS

The chicks may have got away with it, but on the

ballance of probabilities being directly under the 

Wellingtonia Tree

where Magpies are feeding young it seems unlikely?

The bluster still continues, which we could do without, but working on the theory

"every cloud has a silver one"

the

WAVING GRASS

proved most theroputic.

Chicks that have 'got away with it' thus far are those of the

 CANADA GEESE

 on the main pond with all c4 being survivers and out of the clutches of Crows for sure!

Up at the ponds it was more a case of the proverbial bus as having one 

Sandpiper (Common) the day before another in the shape of a

 GREEN SANDPIPER

showed up which

was very

welcome indeed.

The 2 Moth Traps at Slight Return II had proved a disappointment

so hopes were pinned on the others where 

First's for the Year

included

 BEAUTIFUL BROCADE

along with

 SQUARE-SPORT RUSTIC

Had it not been for the very welcome sight of both adult and juvenile 

 GREENFINCH

 the cupboard would have been more or less bare

 but they put on a decent show

as obliging as you would want!

Sunday, so the day for turnig the Reptile covers, under which you never know 

what you may find, but en-route a quick check on the 

GOATS

That 

FRENCH ALPINE 

really does need to learn how to relax and on the way back a couple of

 GREYLING BUTTERFLIES

which are rarely seen to their best advantage as always

wings folded at perch and more often than not forewings also retracted.

The 'covers' did produce and as afore mentioned not only 

Reptiles

but first was a brace of

 SMOOTH SNAKE

first of which was this particularly 'dark' specimen not given to moving.

 and the second a little more lively

which may have done better had

my bonnet not blown off.

Additionally

WOOD MICE

appeared to be particularly active with both new-born

and slightly older juveniles.

At the last knockings we found the first fruits of the

 BRAMBLE

Blackberry Way it’s absolutely going down the drain
it's a terrible day.
Up with a knock silly girl I don't know what to say
she was running away.
So now I'm standing on the corner
lost in the things that I said.
What am I supposed to do without?

Goodbye Blackberry Way,
I can't see you, I don't need you!
Goodbye Blackberry Way
sure you'll want me back another day?

The Move as penned by their multi-tallented leader Roy Wood

 while in the lee of the

Eco Recycling Works Bund

were found a few

BROWN ARGUS BUTTERFLIES

which is about the only place we find them on our patch these days!

Underneath the Arches - Flanagan and Allen

Still the dearth (that's an anagram of Dry County) of Wildlife continues here but

across the various Dorset web-sites one or two little gems continue to appear!

None more so than at the Moth Traps but unlike Saturday's complete

'BLANK'

there were a 'brace' that took our interest.

 BLACK ARCHES

is readily identifiable unlike this putative

 ENGRAILED / SMALL ENGRAILED

which can only be decided accuately under microscopic examination of the

'genetalia' - mucky business best steered clear of!

 During their capture, it was as if a switch had been throw as 

Dozens and Dozens

of

 juvenile

HOUSE SPARROWs

broke cover.

 We have been hearing them for a number of days already

but there seems to have been a reluctance to

 to show themselves.

Not to be outdone

 STARLINGs

also joined the throng

with both species likely gorging themselves on

 CRANEFLY LARVAE

 Also on the lawn, directly outside of my window, was considered to be a

 melonistic, female 

PHEASANT

but a handsome beast for all that.

Our arrival on the Heath was heralded by a fly-by

Royal Navy Helicopter

but otherwise the whole area appeared to be 

As Bare as a Badger's - Gordon Bennett there is one.

 Common and Plentiful,

to the point where they are being culled,

 they are infrequently seen, except maybe as 'road-kill,

so we took the opportunity to

Fill Our Boots

 and see no reason why you should not be invited to enjoy the same

via all of the Snaps and Clips.

 This young animal was feeding varaciously on we knew not what

 and seemingly impervious of our presence

Reaching a point where it appeared to be satiated it slowly turned

and ambled back into the woodland after which we took a look at the food supply.

It looked every bit like livestock feed so could be attributed to the Herdsman purposefully

or accidentily leaving it there??
Whatever, a nice end to the days wander!