Thursday 13 August 2015

Stupid Boy Pike - Dad's Army

Given that the 'port side' of Slight Return II is open to the east it is not surprising, that when conditions allow it gathers direct sunlight all day long. Nice to note then that for the first time in 2 decades Summer fell on a Saturday this year, when the 'alcohol' in my gadget, Blu Tacked to that side, just 'kissed' the 52°C mark. Strange then when given the extensive periods spent in the Tropics, both at work and play, there appears to be little effect while back here in Dear Old Blighty it becomes difficult to get off my back-side under such conditions! Anyway, back to today and yet another sullen start with rain seemingly not too far away. On the 'up-side' all lamps were burning brightly, the gadget showed 18°C, the sky was completely covered and there was little wind - the traps were bound to be packed? 
A selection, in addition to those already Posted, from the past 3 days.
 Bit of a run over the last few days of
 FOUR-SPOTTED FOOTMAN
(which have been exclusively Males, the Females having the 'spots')
and simply for size comparison purposes only
GOLD SPOT is offered up against PRIVATE HAWK-MOTH
 new for the year
 DUSKY SALLOW
along with
 EAR MOTH
 and the longest name on the 
Macro List
 LESSER BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING
there was also a 
 16-SPOT LADYBIRD
on one of the days.
 and just a fleeting visit by a couple of
 BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER
(Dragonfly)
Today's rounds of the Solar Panel Compounds threw up no particular
'goodies' the best on show being
 WOOD PIGEON
 and
 CARRION CROW
 This particular family group of
MALLARD
have thus far kept the predators at bay.
Of the Butterflies on the wing both
 RINGLET
 and
 GATEKEEPER
are particularly numerous at the moment.
COLLARED DOVEs
 and on 
Merritown Heath
 PHEASANT
among the Bristle Bent Grass.
and yet another
 SMOOTH SNAKE
 Looks like the Sheikh's
'Trouble and Strife' 
 is off to do a bit of shopping in Mayfair.
They say a 747 can land quite comfortably on The Mall.
 When referring to
PARLEY POND
 we ain't talking the
GREAT LAKES
but nonetheless this tiny catchment of water 
 has produced no fewer than c21
 PIKE
to 10lb this year alone.
In this particular instance Ken the angler didn't have it all his own way
as presenting it for the photo-call it gouged one of his fingers with its
48 rows of teeth - a dentists delight!
Considered in Great Britain to be of little or no food value 
(we always said we were going to try one but never did) 
catching  Esox lucius here at PCF is considered more of a conservation measure
rather than victualling ship. They have been witnessed taking many of the 
juvenile Waterfowl, and doubtless prey on anything else that draws breath,
so are simply transferred to the River Stour where 
Cetti's Warbler and Kingfisher are far more palatable.
ONLY JOKING! 
A flick through the indispensable pages of Wikipedia we found
"The species of this genus are known as Pike and Pickerel
and in heraldry a fish of the genus is usually called a 
Lucy (English heraldry) or a Ged (Scottish heraldry)" which neatly
scarfs in with our next item.
 Although an invader from the American Continent, ranging from
Eastern Canada to Argentina,
 PICKERELWEED
has, since my arrival at PCF, become a personal firm favourite.
An unexpected fly-past of a
PANAVIA TORNADO
there will be a lot more of that sort of thing this coming weekend
Bournemouth International Air-Day.
and finally,
LITTLE OWL
turning its head through a full 360° before crouching to fly?
AS WE COMMIT THIS POST TO PUBLIC VIEW,
IT'S CHUCKING IT DOWN WITH RAIN - AGAIN!
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