Fire - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

More frost, more sub-zero temperatures and

out of the usual routine we took a wander along our beat

of the River Stour to find, not unusually,

CORMORANTs

roosting on the Pylon and Connecting Wires.

There was also a

 

GREY HERON

occasionally accompamied by a Pied Wagtail and also

doing some streaching excercises.

Additionally, there was a brief appearance of this

GREY SQUIRREL

which soon, like ourselves, scurried off to do other things.

First encounter up the Common, or more precisly outside of the

ECO RECYCLING WORKS,

we noted the arrival of the first c4

FURNACES

for the new Power Production Plant and the Wood Processor.

We say the 'first four', which is true, but for all we know they may also be the last??
An emergencey stop at one of the

Solar Panel Compounds

allowed for a brief encounter with this

SPARROWHAWK

We appologise for poor picture quality as the birdlanded

while we were still in the car, at an uncomfortabley accute angle

and also captured through the windscreen, then this

KESTRAL

in hover, note the small birds mobbing it

and a disgruntled Meadow Pipit voicing its oppinion!

Not a lot more of interest save for the c2

 MUTE SWANs

 having returned once again to

 a 'topped up' Irrigation Pond,

 where there were also a small squadron of

 MALLARD with a Drake WIGEON

We did have a tentative ID on this unfamiliar

CHOPPER

but we feel it may have been chucked out with the now redundant tinsel?
Note:- we are anticipating a Short Post tomorrow!

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Cold As Ice - Foreigner

In sharp contrast with Boxing Day the dawn temperature has plummeted to -6°C with the rest of the day being similar including bright sunshine, little or no wind, more or less the same selection of Birds but with one or two highlights. Slightly unusual, as to location, the first of these was a male

TEAL

feeding veraciously on something within what little
Parrot Feather Pond Weed
remains at Parley Pond now that the diggers have left.

Normal service soon resumed up at the
Gravel Pit
with the

LITTLE GREBE
showing well

and the mixed bag of more
TEAL

MOORHEN

a lone

GREY WAGTAIL

and c2 more
MOORHEN
and not to be outdone another 

 Male TEAL
at this end.

CORTINARIUS Sp

 

 The first for this winter

 LITTLE EGRET

 Also a first of the Winter and only the Second Record here of

BRAMBLING

 LEPIOTA Sp

 Finally, a welcome find in the shape of c2

 hibernating

COMMON (SMOOTH) NEWTs
and there should have been a
Navigation Warning
as Willie Wine (Cheers Willie) has been at it again with this short clip!
Come Fly With Me
Amazing when you consider it takes me a couple of days to get out of my hammock!

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Indian Giver - 1910 Fruitgum Company

A beautiful sunny morning heralded Boxing Day with a dawn air temperature still showing +7°C, but as if just to take the gilt from the gingerbread there was a piercing cold draught from the north west. However, the latter was the only downside to the day as, unlike recent days/weeks, there were at least some Birds showing themselves starting with this

GREY HERON

 which was hunting the margins of
Parley Pond-side up unto the moment we pressed the shutter for the first time!

That was the moment it decided to take to the wing but very much
looked the part being spotlighted by the Sun.

 Up on the Common there was a small flock of about 50

 REDWING

which were reluctant to pose, but with a little patience..........
Just around the bend at the Irrigation Pond there were c5 Teal
flying around but seemingly undecided whether to risk landing or not.
It was left to the regular c2 Mute Swans to make up the numbers there.
A little more prospect after taking the 'distant veiw' across the
Gravel Pit
where it was seen that the female

SHOVELLER

had returned after a few days absence, but there is thought
to have been no such desertion by the

LITTLE GREBE
only its way of life preventing it from being seen on a daily basis.
Despite being considered 'common fare' the

MALLARDs
also looked resplendent in the sunshine, while one of an unknown number of

GREEN SANDPIPER
hereabouts decided to oblige with a short clip before heading off to the Heath.
Met at the gate by Hugh and Janet,
taking their Boxing Day stroll and having just flushed a Tawny Owl
(to be investigated at a later date}, there was also a party of c7

MEADOW PIPIT

 buzzing around and occasionally perching, along with a

COMMON BUZZARD

just altering position in one of the nearby Oak Trees.
Then suddenly from the Gorse popped, what has become something of an enigma here, a

 DARTFORD WARBLER

 distant and brief but no less value for all that.

 With no breeding records from here this year it was encouraging
to see one again but then, like the proverbial bus, there was another
and a third and while difficult to be sure there could have been as many as 5?
There was then just a brief appearance of a

CORMORANT
 transiting the Heath before the first of what was to be a count of 8

 STONECHAT

 firstly a

male
followed by a

female
and then a 'singing' 

 CHIFFCHAFF

 making striking contrast with the ripe
ROSE HIPS.
What is presumed to be the nest of a

 COMMON BUZZARD

followed by a
KESTREL
considered to be out on a 'wing and a preyer'!

Back to the Strange Rover and driving towards home yet another

DARTFORD WARBLER

very nearly landed on the bonnet, certainly close enough but the

images had to be taken through the windscreen.

Passing one of the
Solar Panel Compounds

there was a 9th

STONECHAT
and to end we hark back to the Dampney Trust Party of last Friday night,
where for the second year running I found myself in the charming company of
the lovely Maria. A gentle lady of German extraction, knowledgeable
and the very best of conversationalists who commented on my T-shirt.

 Bought from the Shoshone Lady owner of an ethnic shop in Knoxville, Tennessee,
while travelling with my youngest daughter Lisa from east to west coasts in 1995,
it is the best and most poignant item of clothing ever owned. An excellent conversation piece,
as was found to be the case on the night in question, with Maria summoning he partner,
and my mutual friend, John informing him that she had found the Present she would like!

Thought highly unlikely that another would/could be found it
was considered best to just slip it off and give it to here!

 The expression Indian Giver was a hugely derogatory remark

against the Native North American People, which means to give a gift

in the expectation of getting it, or something more valuable, back!

In the case of the 'headline' it referrers to a hit single by

US Bubblegum Rock Band the 1918 Fruitgum Co

which reached No 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA in 1969.

 Within this page it is used as a 'pun' and a 'double entendre' 
simply to highlight the 'Gift of Giving'!

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