Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

With the result still to be published as to whether July 2015 was in fact the 'wettest' ever on record, our prediction for this month is that it will be beaten into a Cocked Hat! The lull at 05:00 this morning only just allowed for the Moth Traps to be gathered in but it was also likely the overnight rain that caused the Farm Yard power to fail, which in turn will result in a lower Insect count. It was only an equal mix of stolid resolve and idle curiosity that had us leave Slight Return II at all yesterday which, under another set of circumstances, would have been considered a 'confined to barracks' day. It was only to view the rising water level in the new Balancing Pond and the chance of a  migrants/wanders landing somewhere in the Recording Area that got us out at all, as the Bournemouth Air Festival was also something of a damp squib this year. Of the latter, it wasn't just the weather, but the total lack of such 'crowd-pleasers' as Spitfire, Hurricane, Sea Vixen/Venom, Lancaster Bombers et al but through the murk we did capture what we could.

 AEROBITES

 Aerobatic Display Team

 carried out a 'practice session' directly overhead,

 but even at Point Blank

they were difficult to see.

 B-17 FLYING FORTRESS

 Rumour had it that these 2 are the next generation to the aircraft

now used by the Red Arrows

 Our Mate Roy Norris did confirm this later, they are
HAWK T2 TRAINERS
(Thanks Roy)

 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

TWIN OTTER

 and a closer look at the

RED ARROWS

coming in to land.

The residue of yesterday's catch includes 

 LESSER TREBLE-BAR

 SATIN WAVE

and

SMALL WAINSCOT

new for this year.

Remaining with the subject for a moment, all of you will doubtless remember the

LOBSTER MOTH

caught here on the 2nd July this year which during its brief captivity
produced a number of eggs. These were taken by our friend Dave Foot
to his home, where they were nurtured and eventually hatched.

If you have ever wondered where Film Directors get their ideas from
to produce Aliens from Mars look no further than
NATURE and these images.

LOBSTER MOTH LARVAE (Caterpillar)

some footage of their activities

and an example of the

 LOBSTER
they take their name from.

These were given as gifts to friends who attended my
60th Birthday Party
(scary to think that was over 9 years ago?)
In addition Dave brought along a

PRIVET HAWK-MOTH
larvae

 which, given it was almost an inanimate object,

suffered at the hands of the photographer - ME!
On the Heath we also found yet another, but larger

 but larger

 SMOOTH SNAKE

 A recently shed

 SNAKE SKIN

A colour variation of
BLACK SLUG

 an as yet 'unidentified'
SNAKE
while this fearsome looking

FALSE WIDOW SPIDER
was found in one of my jackets in the wardrobe. A bit of a lucky
escape maybe as my Learn'ed Friend John Gifford tells me they
do bite and usually cause a nasty infection.
There was an extra treat in store before yesterday was over, only a
partially expected visitation from my dear friends

Paul (left) and Annie (diagonally opposite) Harris

Little time for a photo call so this rather memorable image has been dragged from the archive. On the occasion of a visit by my (Buchan Alpha Oil Rig) Mate 'Jim the Medic' to my later-day domicile Slight Return, in Weymouth we were also in the company of Lorne (Bowie) and Sheila Edwards (one of Bowie's many claims to fame being an ex-drinking mate of Film Actor and Hell Raiser Oliver Reed). All of this company still talk of the 'best' Duck they have ever eaten and the 

which helped to take the taste away!

AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS IT IS

STILL RAINING, WITHOUT LET UP, AND

THE MOTH TRAPS REMAIN UNDER SHELTER!

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