The Bagsy Blog: Boris the Spider

Thursday, 12 December 2013

Boris the Spider - The Who

Better make this the first item, a new addition to the family.

Not quiet a 'Spider' but the 10 weeks old

BORIS

the Saint Bernard

Perfect overnight weather conditions so all traps activated - nett result 'not a sausage'! However, there's always something and early morning findings came in 2 by 2, firstly on the misty 5th fairway of the golf course these 2 male

PHEASANTS

this a 'silver-winged' variety

and the other known in ornithological parlance as

Bog Standard!

TEAL

came next both again being male, but strangely, to me at least, on the River Stour where I have never seen them before. The property is not short of this handsome little Duck, particularly at this time of year, but their usual haunts are the flooded woodlands to the north. While tending the trap close to Janet's stable the 'chacking' of

FIELDFARE

could be heard, but also from the same direction Jen heading for the horses. On her arrival the birds were still vocal but it was I who put them to flight some minutes later - that's all you need, an Expert! To make-a-mends the Ash sapling is now festooned with sliced apples hoping for a return.

Through the kitchen window it was the same old story

COLLARED DOVE

except for one bird that stood out among the others. Regular

readers may remember this

leucistic House Sparrow we had here in June

well today's bird wasn't quite so dramatic

and probably best described as

'part albino'

but nonetheless a nice thing to see.

Later in the day a 4th, and probably final, bid was made for the c2 Common Cranes reported from the Chesilbourne area of Dorset without success. What was noted there amounted to a strange occurrence for myself, long time 'birding' friend Neil Arnold and his partner Christine. The stubble fields were alive with Wood Pigeon, Rook and Carrion Crow, with one of the latter perching high on a power cable and on occasion dangling completely upside down something none of us had witnessed before.

All else there were these 3 DEER Sp on a distant hillside.
With the county having gone a little QUIET it was decided to pay a
brief visit to

With little or nothing on the sea attentions were turned to the
grassy areas where among the large number of Black-headed Gulls

stood this young GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL

along with what were considered a 'fine pair' of
HERRING GULL

This is an area now visited on quite a number of occasions but only today was this fine

VICTORIAN POST BOX

noticed.

On the way back to Parley this was the scene at the
AVON CAUSEWAY

where Wigeon predominated along with good numbers of Canada and Greylag Geese, numerous Lapwing and a Kingfisher. Time then to check the progress of the Solar Panel Farm in the southern section which seems also to be progressing apace.