Lilac Wine - Elkie Brooks

Maybe the last

GRASS FROST
for this half of the year, but if you have 'casted a clout' keep them close at hand.

ROBIN
This is my little Morning Mate ever ready at the Stable Trap
like so much in nature, "ever the opportunist".

First for the Year

LYCHNIS

and while doing the early morning rounds there is also much,
outside of Moths, to please the eye in the garden.

HAWTHORN

LILAC
 We'll gather lilacs in the spring again,
And walk together down an endless lane,
Until our hearts have learned to sing again,
When you come home once more.
And in the evening by the firelight glow,
You'll hold me close and never let me go,
Your eyes will tell me all I want to know,
When you come home once more.

With the Early Morning stuff completed we decided on a short visit to
PORTLAND.
At the Bill.

 It's a wonder that someone hasn't taken this very eye-catching and
weathered lump of Portland Stone with associate Moss, Lichen and

THRIFT or SEA PINKS

 TRINITY HOUSE OBELISK

SHAG
 seemingly carrying nesting material which it had carried from at least a mile off-shore????

a closer one!

GANNET

Gannets passing the Obelisk.

GUILLEMOT
surfing the Ebbing Tide and among them a few

RAZORBILL

A short stroll along to one of the

QUARRY MEN'S HUTS

(no wooden jobs for them out here in days gone by)

to find a bathing

 ROCK PIPIT
and a lone

OYSTERCATCHER
Circumnavigating the 'active'

PORTLAND BILL LIGHTHOUSE
via the  

BILL QUARRY,

where only more Thrift was found, it was a return to the Obelisk and
only just in time to pick up on a solo

MANX SHEARWATER

flying west.

Given the distance and the size of this rather small seabird we have
'borrowed' this image from Wikipedia for illustration purposes.
Additionally, there were a small handful each of

 FULMAR
and

KITTIWAKE

but now time to try our hand with a land-bird or two in the area known as
Top Fields.

Approaching from the northern side there was a shocking surprise
even before locking the
Strange Rover.

Whatever is this? What was once an unobtrusive Bridleway has now become
The Sweethill Byepass
yet another Concrete Carbuncle!

 Where once flew Corn Bunting, Yellow Hammer,

 the odd Quail or Common Rosefinch now stands
Desolation Row!

They're selling postcards of the hanging,

they're painting the passports brown.
The beauty parlour is filled with sailors,

the circus is in town.
Here comes the blind commissioner,

they've got him in a trance.
One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker,

the other is in his pants.
And the riot squad they're restless,

they need somewhere to go.
As Lady and I look out tonight,

from Desolation Row!

Robert Zimmerman

Is that the scent of MAMMON wafting on the breeze?
Luckily, there were a couple or three birds to take the mind off of such things,
but none of them wishing to hang around for too long.

 No more than fleeting glimpses of a female
REDSTART

 and even less of what looked every bit like a newly arrived
CUCKOO

 There was also a

 KESTREL
behaving rather strangely, and after a quick look and click at the

HIGHER LIGHT
 (the oldest of Portland's 3 Lighthouses)
a

 YELLOW WAGTAIL

flew overhead 'calling'.
(images from the archive)

By then the tide had dropped back a fair bit so thought best to return to
Ferrybridge.
After inspecting the bright yellow

 BIRD'S-FOOT TREFOIL

LITTLE TERN

in seemingly good numbers, were not difficult to locate and with a little patience

approached the camera rather than the other way around.

 In amongst them were a few

 DUNLIN
noted as we made for the best vantage point, the bridge itself,
to see the Terns if they decided to cooperate.

 The still brisk easterly breeze put paid to any decent video footage

 

but at least we gave it a go.

Along with these were also a couple of

SANDWICH TERN

which up until then we had not seen  in Dorset this year.

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