Learning to Fly - Pink Floyd (Part I)

 Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction is holding me fast,
How can I escape this irresistible grasp?

Having lost the will to live 4 times today, once each for the number of defective lap-tops, rather than no Post at all today will have to be a compromise (or some may call it cop-out). A beautiful day for both flying and harvesting we bring a series of images of both activities. My opinion of

THE RED ARROWS
Royal Air Force Ariel Acrobatic Team

 is 'you can never get enough'

All safely back on earth,
this post is dedicated to the memory of
Flight Lieutenant JON EGGING R.A.F.
 Ice is forming on the tips of my wings
Unheeded warnings, I thought, I thought of everything
No navigator to find my way home
Unladen, empty and turned to stone
A soul in tension -- that's learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I
 Learning to Fly
If you want to get him, or her, a present try the DVD Pulse, 
Pink Floyd.
Meanwhile,back in the fields someone has to continue the work.

 Neighbouring farmer Roger was round with his

 COMBINED HARVESTER

 to harvest the last 30 acres of

 BARLEY.
HUGH seems delighted with the 'quality' of the crop

 but tells me 'yeild' is a little down on last year!

 Task half completed

with the cracks showing just how dry the land is at this time.

Not to worry, it is almost guaranteed this field will be flooded
in 4 months time?

GREAT to see Pakistan back in the Top Ten after a long absence!

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You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive

Still Restricted in Our Ability to Manouvre and somewhat Constrained By Draught there is little in the way of a Post tody. Given it took over ahour this morning to send a single E-mail, the reader my appreciate how long it took to uplaod this single image! A good night on the Moth front(with c5 different Old Lady moths bringing the total to c21), weather is fine and the Bournemouth Air Show is well advanced, We're off to Bath to watch the Rugby, more later, so until then when time allows we will sort out the defects.

 New to the Property List
CENTRE-BARRED SALLOW

which is a particularly good specimen.

Grat to see Indonesia back in the Frame!

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Burning of the Midnight Lamp - Jimi Hendrix

Another brilliant day weather-wise and by consequence 'loads' of Insects in the Moth Trap. Had we not fixed the circuit and changed the lamp there would have been nothing at all, but as that was put right another disaster was about to manifest itself. So, let's address first things first and we'll get back to the hic-cup later. Of the many, many dozens pulled from the trap there were four new additions* to the Property List as we continued to 'trap' on the bank of the River Stour.

YELLOW BELLE*

GREEN CARPET*

A difficult creature to separate from a 'close relative' so for now
it will be labelled

TREBLE-BAR*
but maybe at a later date re-identified to
Lesser Treble-bar??

THE LYCHNIS*
were the additions while the others are published for their
good looks.

CANARY-SHOULDERED THORN

FEATHERED GOTHIC

OLD LADY
5 of the 9 caught overnight.

ROSY FOOTMAN

It's difficult not to take a shot of the odd aircraft using the
Bournemouth International Airport
So, back to yesterday and the second instalment of my
short but productive wander with the Secret Lemonade Drinker.

Many, many dozens of
GOLDFINCH
mostly juvenile birds.

Luckily my short visit to Portland on Tuesday produced such a wealth of interest (for me at least) and so that days report was split into two. Here is Part II but sadly to report it may be the last post for a couple of days. Disaster II kicked in early morning leaving me with 3 lap-tops not of which work and are likely never to again. A new one is on the cards, but until that time we'll be unable to produce a plausible post. Please do not desert us in the meantime as we will return!

WOODY NIGHTSHADE or BELLADONNA

MAGPIE
at which moment a SWIFT flew overhead.

Seemingly a freshly emerged
MIGRANT HAWKER DRAGONFLY

Looking to the North East the
Young Offenders Establishment.

DANDELION CLOCK
We met up again with the 2 young lads from Hertfordshire
who had found a small 'fall' of migrant and as Secret and I
have permission to enter some of the fields we were able to
get a little closer. * indicates a new species for the year.

REDSTART*

PIED FLYCATCHER*

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER

TREE PIPIT

WHINCHAT
and as our walk came to an end we were both successful in
the species we were looking for.

In the same horse paddock Secret found c5

YELLOW WAGTAIL

while I was happy to see

CLOUDED YELLOW BUTTERFLY

After a coffee and bacon sandwich, I made to leave Portland
but not before we saw a
JERSEY TIGER MOTH
in Secret's garden. Unfortunately there was simple no time to see
others but it is hoped that will be redressed in the very near future.
In the meantime we will continue to
Burn the Midnight Lamp.

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Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix

Of all days, when time was of the essence, disaster struck early morning. With some long outstanding business to attend to in Weymouth, the hope of a little field-work as well and a need to be back at Parley by noon we could have done without the hindrance of a broken Moth Trap lamp. Further incentive to make an early start and also take in the

PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY
(complete with Joe Stockwell)

was yesterday's capture there of a 'rare' Moth never before recorded in Dorset. The first 30 minutes of the drive to the half way point, Bere Regis, was hampered by fog but then the sun appeared with the rest of the day being bright, sunny and still. Reaching St George's Church, Portland on the hour a 

SPARROWHAWK

the first notable bird of the day flashed in front of me (there were to be c2 more before the day was over). Reaching the Obs, it was found that the Warden Martin Cade had kept the Insect of my Desire, for verification and was only too happy to allow me a look at and photograph my first ever

SHINING MARBLED

With Joe Stockwell, Assistant Warden, Committee Member John Lucas and 2 young lads from Hertfordshire the only others in attendance, it was a change from the usually bustling veranda and lounge, but there was plenty else going on. The Moth Traps had already been attended, with the content now being scrutinised, while I was content scanning the sea, where the Italian built

Royal Fleet Auxiliary Vessel ARGOS

could just be seen, screened by both mist and a flock of Starlings. Argus was formerly the container ship MV Contender Bezant, being requisitioned in 1982 for service in the Falklands War and purchased outright in 1984 for use as an Aviation Training Ship, replacing RFA Engadine. In 1991, during the Gulf War, she was fitted with an extensive and fully functional hospital to assume the additional role of Primary Casualty Receiving Ship which in 2009 became the ship's primary function.

 JOE at the nets.

During this period both Wardens had been busily tending the usual string of Mist Nets placed to catch (migratory) birds, part of which was a

SEDGE WARBLER

and a LINNET

Between times Martin was quizzically looking at another small Moth and when he started to photograph it I was curious to know if this too had any special significance. "You bet it does" he replied, "another 'first' for the County!"

 TAMARISK PEACOCK

was also confined to the 'pot', for the time being at least

so this image from Wiki should give a clearer picture.

 Not bad for a 50 minutes visit!

Next on the agenda, and equally pleasurable, a visit to see my Ol' Shipmate the Secret Lemonade Drinker where luckily I also found Mrs and Daughter Lemonardo, a fantastic bonus. With the ladies off to work, a couple of 'bollards' pulled up and all the lanterns swinging we got down to tales of the sea and the mundane task of 'computer fixing'. With the bane of my life now fully functional, sides splitting from persistent laughter and the coffee tank full, there was time for a wander around the Top Fields before my next, and mundane, rendezvous. Clouded Yellow Butterflies had been reported 'on the wing', which was my target, while Secret was anxious to see a Yellow Wagtail - Game On!

The trudge up Sweethill and along to the Barns produced nothing,

 but arriving above Culverwell, a small stand of bushes 

close to the coast, the first returning migrants started to show.

 WHEATEAR

 over 40 in number were quite approachable and we,

 Secret that is, did spot a 

HARVESTER SPIDER

 It was likely to be 'harvested' itself if the likes of these young

STONECHAT

caught sight of it.

 WALL BUTTERFLY

 Reaching the highest point of our walk, which affords lovely views

both east and west along the English Channel, we could also see

all 3 of Portland's Lighthouses.

THE HIGHER LIGHT (oldest of the three)

 (second oldest) and now the

PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY

and the current ACTIVE LIGHT at the tip of Portland Bill.

 BROWN KNAPWEED

COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY on COMMON FLEABANE

With time also at a premium today, the rest of the adventure will have to save until tomorrow. Did we see the Yellow Wagtail or Clouded Yellow? All will soon be revealed!

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