Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft - The Carpenters

Along with alcohol induced hangovers, 'dull days' will not be tolerated in my small world. Having said that, Tuesday very nearly qualified for the latter as the Moth Traps bore little in the way of 'fruit', there was no sign of visible bird migration and overnight temperatures continued to plummet. That was until 20:30 when, full of roast lamb and a decent Claret, a text arrived from a fellow Moth'er asking if I had kept the Insect shown on my last Post under the heading of Clay Triple-lines? In my tiny mind it could only be assumed that such a question would only have been raised for two reasons, (1) I had cocked-up yet another identification, and (2) it was something 'RARE'! About to reply in that context, a second (coincidental) text arrived asking more or less the same question and stating "that ain't a Clay Triple-lines" - it's nice to be right, I had 'cocked' it! Three way communications continued for some while without the question as to what it was being resolved. It was time to bring the Big Guns into play with both of my corespondents, unaware of the others actions, sending the image to Phil Sterling the Dorset County Entomologist (among other things). He deemed it to be the far more uncommon

BLAIR'S MOCHA

which I am told is a family group which presents a great deal of difficulty

as far as identifications are concerned.
Only an addition to the Year List, as one was caught last year, but
the 300th species of Macro Moth to have been seen here in 2014.

All of this time I had been on tenterhooks awaiting the arrival of the

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

cutting across a clear, dark sky at 21:30 but far more dramatic than this photograph portrays.

With excellent views through both binoculars and telescope

and being 'right' on both counts with the Moth, it was decided

a 'nightcap' followed by taking to my bunk.

Ticking away the moments that make up a 'dull day'
You fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Time - Pink Floyd

 

Despite the early morning temperature bottoming out at 0°C on Wednesday morning, there were a few more Insects to sort through but nothing as 'rare'. An addition to the Property List came by way of a

 BARRED SALLOW*
and joining the Year List this

 SQUARE-SPOT RUSTIC

 

we also caught our 'second'

 OLIVE
along with a couple of slightly contrasting

 COMMON WAINSCOT
and whatever this

LESSER BROADER-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING

was doing to the much smaller

STRAW DOT

we will have to leave to your own imaginations.

After the paperwork was completed, I busied myself with something of a
'mini twitch' to all corners of the farm with the highlights including both
Green Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover
which appear to be perfectly content up at the new pools,

BULLFINCH

still residing close to Merritown Heath,

lots of
HOUSE MARTIN
without a sign of having bred here this year,

One of the

'local'

COMMON BUZZARDS

SEDGE WARBLER

LITTLE EGRET

REED WARBLER

SKYLARK

and 'singing'

TREECREEPER

The weather at the moment may not be ideal for the average holiday maker, but at least the rain seems to have held off, but when you can view such interesting meteorological phenomena as this

 DOUBLE ANVIL

hovering above Harbins Farm House this afternoon,

who's counting?

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