FRIENDS - Led Zeppelin III

As predicted Saturday started with a 'wash-out' but not before just 3 traps (due to overnight power failure in the Farm Yard) were attended to. Numbers of species and totals are now most certainly diminishing but there are still one of two 'goodies' lurking within!

SMALL WAINSCOT

is an addition to the Year List
as is the beautiful

 RED-GREEN CARPET
Another 'late-comer' like the
Kent Black Arches
on our last post was

SMALL BLOOD-VEIN
while this perfectly marked

PINK-BARRED SALLOW
is included only because it is 'Perfectly Marked'.
I have been told that the

COMMON WAINSCOT
can show a far darker colour at this time of year but this one
was considered 'darker' and more 'pink' than any caught previously.

A much better representation of

PEARLY UNDERWING
followed by yet another of my attempts at the Micros which is believed to be

MEAL MOTH
 The rest of the day was given over to a 'long outstanding' visit to

 the tiny Dorset village of
OKEFORD FITZPAINE
and our dear friends Mark and Helen Forster and their son Ralph
whom I had not yet met. A fairly long session of 'catching up' and coffee
was followed by a visit to the Pub.

 from left
Dave Foot, Mark and Helen with Ralph, catching a quick Z or two,
Mo and John Down, supporting their brand new daughter Isobel, also
in Dreamland, along with Paul and Annie Harris (you'll have to wait for my appearance).
Dinner (as it was our main meal of the day) was taken at

 in the even smaller village, which has 2 names, of
SHROTON / IWERNE COURTNEY

 During a Perfect Dinner

 Ralph showed off his latest acquisition having just met
Dorset Olympic 'Gold Medal' Winner - Peter Wilson

 while Bomber get Maternal!

 Satiated, it was time to hit the road after a fantastic 'get together'.
Let's hope it's not so long till the next!
While we refrain from advertising here at the Bagsy Blog,
 when such a 22 Carat Gem as
The Cricketers @ Shroton 
 is discovered it is best shared with the World.

A warm and certainly relaxed feeling on arrival and to see the neatly dressed staff gave a sense of a Good Time to come. The comprehensive menu included such 'rareties' as GREY MULLET and HAKE (the latter being personally pounced upon before being beaten to the punch) and while not quite so scarce Partridge had replace the Guineafowl (2 more of my favourites). The whole place was immaculately clean, the service was slick and professional but I will have to get back to you on the quality of the food as I am still busily thumbing through Roget's to find adequate superlatives. Well worth a drive from anywhere in Dorset, or beyond! Hopefully, without labouring the point and by great coincidence, before leaving for this visit I read the brochure announcing 

The Great Wessex Dinner 

a charity event in support of Life-Limited Children and found that The Cricketers had donated Dinner for Four to the highest bidder in the Charity Raffle. Returning to Parley Court Farm to set the Moth Traps, I called into Harbins to report my findings to Hugh and Janet, on the strength of which Hugh made what was considered an unbeatable bid, my only hope being that it is BEATEN as we'll all be going back there either way!!

Works at the North Pond are now completed so it's simply a case of

NOW YOU SEE IT,

NOW YOU DON'T
the area will soon be turned
over to Grass and later become another Horse Paddock.

Now for the Really Good News, having been given 'almost' carte blanche, by Lord Lawney, to develop the former Irrigation Pond into a Mini Nature Reserve he instructed

MIGHTY MIKE of the SLEW
to follow my guidance (the Blind leading the Blind I hear you utter)
but nevertheless what an opportunity?

As previously stated, little needs doing here except to 'scrape' (make a gentle gradient of mud, sand and gravel) one third of the perimeter leaving the rest, which cannot be scraped anyway, the way it is. I have already busied myself clearing out all the old off-cut fence posts, bottle and other debris from the water. It is thought a few plants will have to be introduced but with great caution, that process continues. Otherwise, a hide and fence panels, as a blind, have been suggested/offered but with ones car making ideal approach possible it is thought no need. Meanwhile, the

HOLE in the GROUND

continues to get deeper, wider and longer with good use being made of that extracted. The depth is now down to decent quality sand to which will be added cement and rotovated (mixed) in-situ, then transported to the Eco Recycling Plant to form a new approach road and hard standing. It all happens at PCF!

Already, at what will continue to be called the Irrigation Pond, 

wildlife is already showing an interest and taking a foothold, but in line

with just about every other farm in the land there are 'unwelcome' visitors.

For me the arrival of c2

FOX

was a great addition to the area, but given their destructive tendencies
they wont last long if Mousy the Gamekeeper finds them.
Not considered worthy of any Photographic Award

at any other time or place these images would have been consigned
to the Delete Bin, but they show just a few of the 50 or so

MEADOW PIPIT
that are now feeding and bathing here.
A complete change of subject but still relating to
'Things That Fly'
Bournemouth International Airport
hosted what is known as a
FLY-IN

over the weekend, allowing pilots and crews of light aircraft to visit with a much reduced landing fee of just £5.00. This included the usual facilities afforded to all aircraft plus a visit to the Control Tower plus Tea and Sticky Cakes. There were dozens of them flying in all day long, resulting in what we can only assume to have been a great success? We though we would bring a few of them to you via the power of Social Media.

 1946 AERONCA 7AC CHAMPION

 1982 PIPER PA-28-181 CHEROKEE

 ALPI AVIATION PIONEER 300

De Havilland Canada DHC-6-6 Twin Otter

Falco F8L Series 3 (Irish Reg)

Icarus C42
along with 3 that cannot be found so over to you

JANET READ and ROY NORRIS

Entry	Pageviews
United Kingdom	570
United States	232
Germany	187
Russia	70
Ukraine	33
France	28
Estonia	15
Canada	14
Poland	9
Suriname	4 - well I'm blowed, hope my Mate and Guide Otte Ottema is among this quartet. Great memories of a fabulous country and whoever you are Best Wishes. Please pass the LINK on!