The Bagsy Blog: 10/07/14

Tuesday, 7 October 2014

Up the 'Pool - Jethro Tull

In the case of Jethro, it's relating to Liver'pool

but it fits!

My first encounter with the unpredictable and sometime violently unstable

CHAAC

was among the ruins of the ancient Mayan City of

TIKAL

in the heart of the Guatemalan Rain Forest, 2004

It is thought to be he, armed with his legendary Lightning Axe, who has been upset by the blethering of our modern day Weather Forecasters and brought on Sunday night / Monday morning's deluge! All we have heard in recent days from the likes of Carol Kirkwood, Tomaz Schafernaker et al is how it has been the driest September since Cecil B DeMille filmed Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landing on a Papier-mâché set in Hollywood all those years ago. No wonder it's Chuckin' it Down!

On the strength of that it was a predictable 'nothing new' from the
Moth Traps which was only salvaged by a few things seen before

this year, but for those interested in such things, being welcome

on the re-run.

Our third

LARGE WAINSCOT

of the year and the second

MERVEILLE du JOIR

Not since Dave Foot's first visit here have we had

PINION-STREAKED SNOUT

and

RED UNDERWING

is again only our second.

Perhaps not surprisingly we get very few Larvae 'inside' the traps so this

Caterpillar of the

RUDY TIGER MOTH

was a novel capture.

While there is no doubt my tendencies are leaning more and more towards asociality, (not to be confused with anti-social) it is hardly surprising given that once again I find myself with a more or less 'Exclusive Patch' that I find myself not wandering far from Parley Court Farm these day. For instance, disregarding altogether the Short-toed Eagle that graced Dorset airspace earlier this year, and will likely remain the County Bird of the Decade, I have added Hooded Crow to the June, July and August Lists and Black Guillemot for September but only as part of other ventures and when the majority had tired of them. So, it has now become almost a daily routine to attend to the Traps, then make a dash for the Irrigation Pond hopefully to see another new species for that area. It is just as well I did yesterday particularly as the unexpected was in store. The whole of the pond and surrounding area is viewable from a strategically parked car with c2

EURASIAN TEAL

noted on arrival, but what is that 'dot' to the right??

A roosting Snipe of sorts but initially, at that distance, difficult to tell.

Whichever, it would be new for the pond, but as a Pied Wagtail passed
by, on size comparison alone, it was likely going to be better than 'Common'.

As it woke and started to feed it was continually carrying out a rapid

up and down motion as if on a mini Pogo Stick.

I had never witnessed this in either of the 2 most often seen species

but have learnt since that this is a natural but not often seen trait of

JACK SNIPE

which it turned out to be. This is the 'forth' of the kind seen here this Autumn.
Did I think to activate the Video Function?? - Answers on a Post Card please!

The Teal continued feeding and at one time or another were in company with a

MOORHEN

and then a

PIED WAGTAIL

before climbing out onto a bank and then flying to the smaller pool.

As always a number of

GREY WAGTAIL

were busily fly-catching

and paying scant attention to me.

Moving location to overlook the smaller pond just one of the

TEAL

it seemed had remained.
Despite the disturbance here of late

COMMON DARTER
continue egg-laying,
a Emperor Dragonfly was seen during the week but this hapless

COMMON FROG
was not quite so lucky.

With all that nostalgia from 2004 at the beginning of the Post it is felt a few images from the Archive might be in order. Obviously for the enjoyment of our vast audience, but more particularly for the 2 Skinny Kids who accompanied me on that particular trip. Intent on 'back-packing' from Mexico City to Panama City over a four weeks period, by the time the following 3 photies were taken in Crooked Tree, Belize

BIG FAT BILLY

(if you keep on like that someones going to end up in the f'in Lake)

and

THE GORGEOUS ONE

had already travelled the 1,000 or so miles from the starting point to Mérida, the capital of Yucatán, then onward a further 70 miles to the rather unkempt village of Pisté. The intent was to visit the FABULOUS Chichen Itza via the 'back-door', just a 3Km walk through lush forest corridor strewn with all manner of wildlife and where a bit of personal 'Birding' history was made. This, a

BARE-SHANKED SCREECH-OWL

Belize

is my very first photograph taken by the technique known as 'Digi-Scoping'

were an ordinary small digital camera is offered-up to the eye-piece of a telescope.

Back to the journey, and we had taken the advise from the Lonely Plant for this visit which stated loud and clear "DO NOT VISIT CHICHEN ITZA AFTER 11:00 ON ANY DAY". That is when the Tourist Coaches arrive from Cancun and all hell breaks loose. Just to give a brief idea, the Car / Coach Park there is about the size of the Bourgh of Hammersmith yet each Coach Driver is duty bound to carry a determined length of Bamboo Cane to be certain he/she is not parked more than the regulation distance from the next vehicle. Billy and I literally had the whole complex to ourselves! It must be said that

JIM the MEDIC

is the most Cool, Laid-Back Character I have ever had the pleasure to meet. There was no plan as to exactly where or when we would meet up with him, just simply "I'll see you at the Mexico / Belize border at Chetamule on the given day". Within 15 minutes of our arrival there he was sat on the veranda of a small cafe smirking and sipping a Margarita and wearing his new Panama Hat.

Footnote:- The images above of the Buchan Boys on Tour were taken at the Annual Village Fish Festival where, along with the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize, we were invited as Guests of Honour. On such occasion a special dish of whole roasted, 'pregnant' Green Iguana is prepared and served only to the distinguished few. It can be honestly reported that both flesh and eggs were delicious.