Having used the small 'replacement'
camera, bought in Suriname when the old one went AWOL, while on
Portland it was stuffed back into the bag and forgotten about until
today. On that day I looked across from Ferry Bridge and saw,
mid-Portland Harbour, an interesting looking Jack-Up Crane Barge which
had me scurrying to almost the highest point on the Island,
the VERNE PRISON, to investigate.
The Vessel was in fact 'underway, making way' powered by
the Small Tug on her starboard quarter.
From this vantage point the whole of the Harbour and what used
to be the Naval Base can be viewed, a pastime I never tire of.
The ships alongside that day included
RESOLUTE
Royal Fleet Auxiliary ORANGELEAF
SARINE (inboard) and SELEINA
with the MULBERRY UNITS (left).
As
reduced temperature and scattered showers, sometimes heavy, persist
Moths remain in short supply, over the last 3 days there has been only a
total of 87 Macros released from the trap, with today being no
exception (32 in the trap) save for a single specimen clinging to the
outside of the 'bin'. This was the
which
escaped before there was time to temporarily confine it to a pot. This
is an Insect caught many times before but new to the Property List here.
By coincidence my friend Sheila Edwards caught one in her garden
recently and showed me a photograph during my visit last week. The 'best
of the rest' amounted to
THE GOTHIC
OLD LADY
Before
leaving the subject and again touching on my all too brief visit to
Portland, I met Dave Foot one of the most accomplished Amateur
Naturalist I have the pleasure to know. He introduced me to a new word, 'aestivation',
its meaning and relevance to the c21 Old Lady Moths caught over a 4
days period here at Parley in recent days. A short period of hibernation
soon after emergence from the cocoon, the adults fly to a 'collective'
roost, usually in a derelict building, where they 'sleep' for a short
period before once again taking to the wing and getting about the
business of procreation. That would explain then the reason for so many
visiting the trap during that short period and maybe why there were no
're-traps'. The latter is known as a very tiny white mark was added to
the upper wing of each Moth!
O.B.E.
The Other Bu**ers Efforts File
From deepest Wales, St David's Head to be more accurate,
my dear friends Paul and Tess 'found' this splendid adult
ROSE-COLOURED STARLING
while from a little further afield, Tokyo, Japan in fact, another friend
Chris Cook sends me this equally dramatic photo of a
ROCK PTARMIGAN
along with the attached message.
Dear
Cap'n Bagsy -- Good to hear all is well with you and that you are
enjoying life in Parley. Here is a pic of a Rock Ptarmigan that I took
on Wednesday -- one of 29 birds seen during this week's hike!
and lastly but by no means leastly a fine offering from Paul Harris.
CYDIA SPLENDADA
he tells me is not a 'rare' or 'uncommon' Micro Moth but the imageis an indication of the value of a Raynox Converter on his camera.
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