By The Sword - Slash

It has to be my 'big mouth', as soon as I open it the complete opposite happens. It was on the last post we were berating the weather conditions but adding the caveat that "on the other hand temperatures, particularly overnight, have remained reasonable with the lowest holding double figures". That was Tuesday, and the very next morning - WHACK - 2° C raising concerns that there would be little (if anything) of note in the Moth Traps. Not seeming to learn by previous mistakes, I'd done it again but this time in the opposite direction and very much to my benefit. The very first Insect found, perched there looking every bit like a 'dead twig', was a Dorset Rarity and an addition to the PCF List

RED SWORD-GRASS

 The Web-Site tells us that fewer than 300 have ever been
recorded in the County,

 while my peers were waxing lyrical over such a 'good find'.

With so little movement it was at first thought to be dead, or at least 

comatose, so while in this torpid state we were able to photograph 

the underside as well.

 Eventually it did gather enough strength

to embark on a little 'finger-tip' balancing.
To make matters better, and not long after, this

GREY SHOULDER-KNOT,

also 'scarce' hereabouts, was taken.

It too was less than active showing this pink tinge to the
underside of the abdomen.
Another first for Parley!

Nowhere near as uncommon but a valuable addition to the
Year List
FEATHERED THORN
was perched on an egg-tray close to these

EGGS.
Whether or not they belong to this species is not know but of interest.

Back to the complex group of November/Autumnal (type) Moths
and again we cannot be sure without further invasive study which I
am most certainly not qualified to undertake.
Nice Fresh Moth though isn't it?

Another 'total baffler' for me which, on reflection, should have been obvious.
Having described it of some sort of DART, it was a great surprise
to find it is in fact a 'light form' of the very common
TURNIP MOTH
'Live and Learn'

Finally from the traps, this
SILVER Y
simply proved irresistible, so here it is.

Since the Grass Court Tennis net has been removed
Carrion Crow
have moved into this 'feeding area', and I'm sure much to Hugh's
chagrin even though dormant for the next 6 months he'd sooner
not have them here.
In the evening Hugh and Janet came over to Slight Return II for dinner,
a modest little repast of Roast (whole) Quail with a
medley of 9 Vegetables, Orange and Cranberry Xmas (style)
pudding with Rodda's Custard and as fine a Claret as you would want.

1983 Grand Vin 'Leoville Las Cases'
Saint Julien
one of the optimum vintages of Bordeaux.

Thursday could have been described as a 'lost day' except for burying myself in a long neglected project - The Memoirs. Having completed the rounds of Moth Traps, with little result and

constant company of these c7

MUTE SWANs
continuously circling overhead,
a circuit of the farm where this

fine looking

KESTREL

was found and the continuing presence of the

LITTLE GREBE
on Parley Pond
it was off to the Irrigation Pond

where the first

GREY WAGTAIL
for 2 weeks was awaiting, it was time to drive back to the van.

However, a short stop just to view a passing Fox was met by the
familiar 'zeeet' of a couple of overflying

REDWING

first for this end of the year, I buried my head in the 'Book to Be'.

Taking up the story joining my first ship, HMS KEPPEL (Blackwood Type 14 Frigate), as a 'green' 16 year old Junior Seaman I got so engrossed that dinner was overlooked completely. It was only when Janet phoned and asked if I would make up the 'trio' for the Parley Golf Club Quiz that I came back to earth. Not wishing to let too much of a Cat Out of the Bag, it can be told that the subject of all my attention and concentration was the tale of Keppel escorting the Royal Yacht 'Britannia' to Jersey in the Channel Islands for the 1963 visit by HM the Queen. In company with Biff Bayliss, Freddie Fielding, Geordie Pratt and Co Ltd we got ourselves into almighty trouble, and not just the drinking and fighting kind - but that will have to wait for another day - must get back to it now!

An overlooked photograph from about 10 days ago while driving to
Weymouth, RAINBOW over Bere Regis.

and finally, putting the Red Sword-grass well in the shade,
an image from one of our regular readers in Weymouth of a
Moth of 'Rocking Horse Droppings' proportions in this country

SLENDER BURNISHED BRASS

Caught by our dear friend Hugo Wood-Homer at Bardolf Manor Farm,

it is described by Dorset Moths as a Very Rare Migrant which has only

been encountered in the County of Dorset a dozen or so times.

I'm waiting for mine Hugo!

Entry	Pageviews
United Kingdom	511
United States	361
Germany	160
China	52
Russia	46
France	31
Ukraine	24
Estonia	13
Italy	9
Canada	7