Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver

An evening with the Bat Detectors brought clarity

to one species, Common Noctual, which has long been 

suspected as resident here so was added to the list, while both 
Common and Soprano Pipistrelles were also recorded again.

Without even a hint of an invitation to join them, Hugh and Janet have

now jetted off to the Western reaches of the USA, leaving me with nothing to my name save becoming

LORD LIEUTENANT of the CHICKEN COUP

and 

Irrigation Superintendent of the

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
(seems there might be a song in that)
So, having to feed the Chicks and water the Strawbs before setting about the
Moth Traps, we're Puffed Out almost before the day begins.
Among yesterday's meager haul and First for the Year

 MARBLED MINOR (type)

 GREEN CARPET

 PEPPERED MOTH

and the

SOLDIER BEETLE

CANTHARIS RUSTICA

and for good measure we quickly turn to a

Trail Cameras Update with

STONECHAT
and

PIED WAGTAIL
getting in on the act.

It is thought about time that we also produce an update on the progress of the

LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS

Behind Eco, the problem still remains getting close to the birds,

 which has its own advantages, but in recent days they have obligingly

come a little nearer to us. With 3 having been seen here it is presumed 

that there is a nest somewhere but they are keeping something of a low profile.

Although we do see one or the other of them occasionally,

 at the weekend

they were seen together but never close enough to get them all in the same shot.

In the Solar Panel Compound, where a closer approach 

is possible without disturbing the birds, the pair there have been seen

 taking over 'nest duties', which may include sitting on eggs? 

and titivating the Shallow Scrape.

Nest Cleaning.
On 5 consecutive days now one or other of the potential parent birds

 has been watched

 dedicatedly sitting at the same spot until potential disaster struck.

It was the intention of the original Shepherd to back-fill this 5 feet deep pit,

as a hazard to his charges, but the job was never done.

 Soon after the arrival of the new Herdsman, who we have not met, 

these 4 huge cable drums, connected by wammy tape, now serve as a barrier to the Sheep.

The moving destroyed at least one Pied Wagtail nest while in others

PIED WAGTAIL

 do continue to feed young.

All this action did in turn disturb the LRP's which couldn't be located

even after a 40 minutes search, but this was used to our advantage,

 to pay a visit to what was considered to be a nest site,

 where these c4 eggs were seen.

 Having little, or no, option but to leave them exposed we paid a

visit early the following morning to find a sitting bird had returned.

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