Discovery - Mike Oldfield

We pride ourselves at

The Bagsy Blog

on admitting our foibles and rectifying them without excuse!

We could easily put it down to the furore of Sunday’s magical catch, the

Shining Marbled,

but the Small Wainscot of yesterday was a classic misidentification of Common Wainscot

while the jury is still out on the Engrailed Clay! 

We have a good feeling about having entertained a few more Readers to our pages
as a result of that Mega Moth and the efforts of Paul Harris (Thanks again Bomber)
who might like to scroll back a few pages, via Older Posts, to catch up
on Falklands Parts 1 and 2!
No great rush to swing out of the hammock this morning, it's hammering down out there and looks to be persistant, awarding myself a 'Guard and Steerage' the Royal Navy term for a lie in given to those who undertook the duties stated above during the
Middle Watch - 23:59 to 04:00
there being no records logged attributed to midnight, but don't know how that originated?
Falkland Islands - Part III
Returning to what has now become a trilogy might be a blessing as a heavy
downpour at 04:00 was followed by sporadic similar rainfall throughout the morning
making ant form of Wildlifing difficut, to say the least.
Again we deployed the ex-anglers umbrella which made little difference to the catch,
so back to Port Stanley!

06:30
On the Trail of the Lonesome Trap

Leaving

MV DISCOVERY

swinging to her pick (anchor) it was off for more adventureson the

Another day walking from Port Stanley was something of a toss of a coin,

the options being the often illusive 

ROCK HOPPER PENGUINS

to the north or another totally different species, among the

MINEFIELDS

to the south we opted for the latter.

 You couldn't have imagined a better start with a fly-over

 ROYAL ALBATROSS

Lady Elizabeth is a wrecked iron barque of 1,155 tons built by Robert Thompson Jr. of Southwick, Sunderland and launched on 4 June 1879. Robert Thompson Jr. was one of the sons of Robert Thompson Sr. who owned and operated the family ran shipyard J.L. Thompson & Sons.Thompson Jr. eventually left the family business in 1854 to start his own shipbuilding business in Southwick. The ship was built for John Wilson as a replacement for the 658-ton, 1869-built barque Lady Elizabeth which sank off Rottnest Island.

An Image of Her Former Self

KELP GEESE

(male right)

Close Up

 FALKLANDS COMMON SNIPE

 CAPE, PINTADO

or

 PAINTED PETREL

 whatever, quiet some seabird.

 MOUNT TUMBLEDOWN

 At least we saw them

 as did those who opted for the Rockhoppers

 MEGELLANIC PENGUIN

Sue getting up close with a

 RUFOUS-BELLIED DOTTEREL

and later another fantastic Wader

MEGELLANIC OYSTERCATCHER

Finally, for here at least

FALKLANDS LONG-TAILED MEADOWLARK

(female)

TIME TO LEAVE, 
DESTINATION - SOUTH GEORGIA!

The Tender Trap - F.A. Sinatra

While our policy for life remains:-

"What is for you will not go by You" 

she or he who persists will eventually, and surely, reap rewards but we readily admit

there have been a few veiled 'moans and groans’ atween these pages in recent weeks.

Mainly about poor catches from the Moth Traps, which also seems representative across our home county of Dorset?

Bingo! - it happened on Sunday that we caught, in one of the traps close to home,

what is thought to be only the 20^th record ever for Great Britain of a

SHINING MARBLED

As far as the Field Guides are concerned Manley states there has been but a

single record in Great Britan on 28 October 2006 from Hereford.

Otherwise Bernard Skinner sees it like this 

concuring with the above.

However, rumour has it that a specimen has been taken on the

Isle of Portlad, Dorset

with the total across the country now standing at c20 of these delightful litte creatures?

Our only hope now for the Mothing fraternity and our stalwart readers is that the moment can be enjoyed by one and all, as we enjoy so many of other entusiast around the County!

We are by no means claiming any 'skill' be attached to this capture but

we do set a trap high on a bund, close to home, hoping for just an occassion!

EUREKA!

A little way down the pecking order came a common and numerous

 INGRAILED CLAY

 and in about the same division

 COMMN WAINSCOT

 In all the kerfuffle we almost forgot to mention the lone

 PEREGRINE

 that cut across the early morning sky, only the second of the year!

It didn't land with this archive image added for more clarity. 

Before heading north we also managed a short session with a flighty

 LITTLE EGRET

 which then became a bit 'snap-happy'

landing a couple of times along the course of the 

River Stour.

Up at the Ponds juvenile Mallard numbers have increased to 27

but gone are the days when parent birds and little 'balls of fluff'

were happy to waddle or swim by at near point blank range, hence no snaps.

However, things were a little different at the

Gravel Pit

where mist was still hanging a little low but yet another (or the same)

 COMMON SANDPIPER

was

gorging itself.

It has been a number of days now that we have been hearing

 CETTI'S WARBLERS

along the course of the

Moors River
and seem to remember that juvenile male do practice their

Vocal Skills

in preperation for next years courtships.

The other c3 Moth Traps? Don't even ask but you'll hear no complains about that

 as somebody has to wander this

Sacred Patch on a Daily Basis.

P.S.

We now have the

 original

and now a second

BEEHIVE

get the toaster going Paddigton!

Under the cercumstances perhaps best then to cut along to the 

Sewerage Works, 

likely the best place to see a

Pied Flycatcher

which, had we not drawn a 'blank', would have been only a 3rd sighting here

since records began in 2013.

However, we did not leave disappointed as

 a female

GOLDCREST

 was obliging before spotting the second

 Wader of the Day

 GREEN SANDPIPER

seemingly finding norishment in what is left of the recent rains.

Just one more treat, which may be a record breaker, before arriving back at barracks.

 Line upon line of

ROOKs

interspursed by 
Jackdaws

 more than has ever been counted here before

which,after a number of counts,

 ammounted to a maximum of

c157.

While permission is granted to enter selected bounds of 

Bournemouth International Airport

we like all other members of the general public have had that suspended

during the current situation so no counts have been possible there of the

thriving Rookery there. 
We are rather hoping for a new wave of readers today on account of
Sunday's good fortune and welcome you with open arms.
We respectfully request, if that is the case and you enjoy our humble efforts,
you pass on the link to all your addressees please.
Thank in Anticipation - Bagsy.