Waders of the Lost Ark - Part II

DANK, DULL, DRENCHED, DREICH, DIRE and that's only me!

So maybe a good job we still have the second and final part of The Waders in the locker which starts with another strange and interesting family group the PHALAROPEs.

of which there are but 3 members with the
GREY PHALAROPE,
as we call them, rarely being seen in Great Britain in any other plumage than that shown above and being the most common to visit our own shores. However, the American's usually seeing them in a different light most usually in breeding plumage, quite rightly refer to them as

RED PHALAROPE
The second on the 'scarcity table' is the

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
followed by the most uncommon (rare in GB) of them all

WILSON'S PHALAROPE
which have been observed in the foothills of the Andeas in their many thousands!
Collectively, they are all just as happy on fresh water as they are on the sea but have a most bizarre method of hunting. Spinning on either surface like a 'top' a vortex is formed below into which invertibrates are dragged and slowly forced to the surface where the birds pick them off willy-nilly!

First seen, in order from the top Norfolk - 1978, Hampshire - 1977 and Radipole, Weymouth - 1984.

WANDERING TATTLER
Galapagos - 2003

BLACK-WINGED STILT
Dorset - 1985

RUFOUS-CHESTED DOTTEREL
Brazil - 2001

BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
Stains Reservour, Surrey - 1983

KITTLITZ PLOVER
Madagascar - 2010

MEGELANIC OYSTERCATCHER
Falkland Islands - 2007

The most spectacular individual DUNLIN ever seen

Barrow, Alaska -2007

GREAT KNOT 

Darwin, Australia - 2008

BLACKISH OYSTERCATCHER
Falkland Islands - again 2007

AUSTRALIAN PRATINCOLE
Alice Springs, Australia - 2008

Surely everyone's favourite

local grown

AVOCET
along with a contender for one of the

most remote

Waders on Planet Earth

ROCK SANDPIPER

Pribalof Islands, Bearing Sea, Alaska - 2011

Here Comes the Flood - Peter Gabriel

 Just a glance at the currant state of the

RIVER STOUR
(looking east)

what used to be North Bank to South Bank

and to the West, just 150 yards from our own front door,
suggested that there won't be much found there for a few days yet!
However, the very opposite was the case as scanning the Southern Sector, but more particularly the pylons, as expectations rocketed. Not a hope in hell of confirming our suspicions with binnoculars alone, this is annually about the only time we ever have to resort to the trusty telescope

to confirm a

PEREGRINE
at great distance, with maybe needless to say having to resort to the archive for the stills.
With such a capture and 'first for year' under the belt it was highly unlikely it would be upstaged but we carried on regardless! Things remained exactly the same the the 2 more northerly watercourses while a number? of

BULLFINCH
(male)

(female)

entertained us along the course of the
Sewerage Works Fence.
Very little was the bad news right across the Heath but seemingly some concern when finding

DEAN'S DITCH

clogged with effluent?
Something of a miracle at the
Rare Breeds Compound

as all of the Goats
5x Bagots, 2x Old English and the single French Alpine had consigned themselves into one frame

but not showing much activity.
Just like thier Ol' Dad here, only moving when you absolutely have to!

Otherwise it was just left to a single
ROBIN

along with a 10 second rather pale

STONECHAT
before returning back to base to find the

GUINEAFOWL
(now part of the daily picture just outside of the homestead)

fratanising with the local
HERRING GULLs

and also

continuously feeding.

The Taming of the Shrew - Bill the Bard

With the Forecaster’s seemingly a little uncertain they branded Sunday with being ‘wet’ from stem to stern. As it turned out here, there was rain in maybe Biblical proportions from 04:00 to 09:00 but followed by a severe outbreak of almost Spring-like Weather!

With rumour of Bomber's overnight success on Saturday in Weymouth with a

CHESTNUT MOTH
 it was decided to flash up just a single trap which was quickly extinguished at 22:30 as empty!     Just as well considering the rain soon after and with no Dawn Chorus either we started the drier part of the day down on the Southern Sector where was found a flock of an estimated 200

FIELFARE

with just 199 of them flying off to the sanctuary of the nearby trees from where,

on one or other of these clips, you may hear them laughing at us!
There was nothing then until arrival at the Gravel Pit where just a single

LITTLE GREBE
remains in residence but where again the flock of

TUFTED DUCK
had increased by a further male bird to c5 but proving difficult to capture

before something else, quite unexpected at this time of year, caught our eye and yes it was a

COOT

with regular visitors likely remembering the December bird which usually avoid such
small watercourses during the Winter months, but a welcome 'first for the year' this time!
Back to the Tufties which being 'Diving Ducks' were continously feeding as well as being widely distributed most of the time

but with a little patience

both Ducks and Drakes

did eventually

Come Home to Roost

as it were!
With a great start to the year already in the bag it would have been OK to think that might have been 'it' for the day, especially when drawing a complete 'blank' along the
Sewerage Works Fence
but there was no intent to leave the Heath unchecked.

We still do not know if this 'clump' (the accepted 'collective noun' for a bunch of)
AIRBUSES
are the ones plying there way back and forth to Malasia in an attempt to keep us stocked with PPE as on some days the Clump seems to have been Shuffled?
However, no ? against the flock of c9

WOODLARK

that flushed from underfoot before landing about 50 yards away and making for our second

First for the Year
as again regular reader will undoubtedly remember the fantastic breeding success of 2020
right across this area.
Before reaching the Goat Compound and during an attempt to lure a
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker,
without success, we happened upon a small flock of feeding

SISKINs

which would not only have rounded of the Hat Trick of FFY nicely
but also the Day as well had it not been a case of
BEST UNTIL LAST!

At this time of year there sems little point in turning the Reptile Covers as any self respecting Sloeworm, Smooth Snake, Sand Lizzard or Other would be well below ground in a hibernaculum of one form or another so this was just on a whim with camera primed in case!

THIS WAS 'THE' SHOT of the DAY
can you see it yet?

There, scurrying around as fast as lightning under the corrigated iron cover, was a most unexpected

COMMON SHREW

(we thank John Gifford for confirming identification)
Almost as if we didn't want the day to end, just a matter of a few yards from
Slight Return II our Caravan Home stood a

LITTLE EGRET
allowing for just a single shot before

taking to the wing and allowing for a second.

A day that could, on any other occassion, have been described as magical but had gone much further than that, as having met 2 amazing people en-route heavily involved with

B.O.A.T.

'Brownsea Open Air Teatre'

Having been a supporter, along with many of the people around me, for a number of years, there were alway between 10 and 20 of us would attend the annual Shakespeare Production which was always a joy to behold. I have to admit to welling up as the conversation continued and have to hope those 2 lovely people tune into today's post which prefectly fits out headline. and is dedicated to them. Do hope to see you again - Stay Safe!