In God's Country - U2

NOT A BAD START FOR A 'HERETIC'

but what a song

In God's Country LINK 

or

Having arrived Harbins Farmhouse at 06:00 all else had to be put to one side, as the new Second in Command of Parley Court Farm I have been entrusted with the

CHICKENS

while Hugh and Janet enjoy a well deserved break at their house
in the South of France.

CH12CKS and CH04CKS
Attended and the
CACKLE BERRIES
collected I was as liberty to continue to enjoy life.
Only getting £1.50 each for the eggs Janet so you'll still have to
pay me back the money I owe you!!

The cloud formation looked as if it could be a Game of Two Halves
but after the cloudburst below

it was a pleasant enough day with just a nip to the wind.

The content of the 5 Moth Traps amounted to

11 Insects of just 6 species but a little interest by way of dozens of

these 'pin-head' size

GREENFLY APHID
Thereafter, the whole of the day was spent on Merritown Heath in
search of Hobby, Tree Pipit and Emperor Moth, none of which were found.
HOWEVER
you never BLANK on such HABITAT.

Having cleared the trap of all the dozens of Little Green Fella's above,
the St-range Rover was stationed close to this
GORSE BUSH
where over the past week a

COMMON WHITETHROAT
has been singing endlessly, but not today. It was first located at the
very top of one of the Aspens, but soon descended into a nearby

ROWAN (Mountain Ash)

Flying towards the suggested GORSE (background)

it landed on a
DOG ROSE BRIER

which is considered as photogenic as the bird itself!

Back to the Prospective Home

it put on one hell of a display both

Visual and Vocal.

 45 minutes later, move station to the T Junction taking right fork towards

 Bournemouth International Airport in the far distance but more importantly

 up close and comfortable to this 'still bare'
BLACKTHORN SAPLING.
Historically, this insignificant and dead looking 'twig' has proved the
optimum spot for a number of species of bird to be heard but again
not when you want them to. After 30 minutes
another move, just 20 yards this time, and up popped

 this female

STONECHAT

again on GORSE.
After a full 15 minutes or more she was joined by a

 Male

 presumably her
BIDEY-IN-Y
(Scottish dialect)

Time for a bit of a brush up before 'courting' commenced.

 but he was soon joined by another

Little Charmer
DARTFORD WARBLER

Apart from the Video Footage there were then a couple of 

distractions before we tried to relocate the Dartford.

ROE DEER
fairly well hidden and

GREEN-VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY
on

CRANESBILL

Long-tailed Tit nest all across this sensitive area but none more so than amount

 BRACKEN, SILVER BIRCH
and more

GORSE

 LONG-TAILED TIT

 3 different individuals feeding young

 mostly at the expense of the local

SPIDER
population.
Just to add to the mix both

 ROBIN
and

DUNNOCK
showed up, as did the 4 beautiful

BELTED GALLOWAY COWS
On the way back to the 2 small stands of Aspen yet another

 DARTFORD WARBLER

 put on an amazing show.

 During this visit, and understanding just how difficult it can be to

 accurately count these mobile, occasionally secretive and sculking little gems

 it was considered that at least

25 individuals had been seen?

The afore mentioned

 ASPENS

seem far behind all other trees here as far of leaf production is concerned,
but doubtless they will come.

 LINNET

 are also nesting here

but put on some showy appearances from time to time.

 Past the second of the two
ASPEN COPICE

 to the east side of the Heath which has a far more dense

 border of trees where we found

A 'juvenile'

SCOTS PINE

 and at least one obliging

 WILLOW WARBLER

among the dozens singing here.

 Stopping at the gateway that leads back onto Parley Court Farm

 the prolific Apple Tree which produced so much fruit last year,
much to the liking of the Galloways, seems destined for a similar crop.
This is where at least one

 BULLFINCH

 was heard.

not quiet completing a brilliant day in the field.

In addition c2 Garden Warbler were first heard and then both seen, but too fleet of wing for a photie, resulting in a Year Tick and a new species for the property.

This was the view at 20:30 from Harbins and

 15 minutes later back on the Heath to activate the Moth Trap.
In addition there a Tawny Owl was keeping things fairly low key, a
Roe Deer, maybe the same one, was 'barking' as was a Fox, Rabbit were
still bounding all over the place and there were a 'record' number of
WOODCOCK
ever seen in one evening, a fantastic c10.
Finally Janet (and Hugh), the Chicks are in bed and all the

CHILDREN
are safely tucked up - Manana!

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