The Wayward Wind - Gogi Grant

The wayward wind is a restless wind
A restless wind that yearns to wander
And he was born the next of kin
The next of kin to the wayward wind….

With the highest wind speed on my weather fax on Sunday being but 61 m.p.h. it was felt that somehow we had dipped out as, the BBC at Bournemouth International Airport (alongside which is my home) was showing 70 to 80. That aside, what was predictable is the mindset of any dedicated ‘birder’, worth their salt, who would all have had but one thing on their mind

A ‘YANK’

On such windy days the chances of an American vagrant are much higher but, early days yet as one might be located during the week? Were there a choice mine would fall firmly, but realistically, between 

Black and White Warbler 

or

Blackburnian Warbler 

both of which have been seen in good numbers on the other side of the ‘pond’
particulary Haiti where both of these imiges were taken..

But before floating off to dreamland we should surely revisit the last frosty day here when the temperature was on the cusp of Zero while the predicted figure from the Moth traps was exactly the same - but none of it. At this time of year a Moth is a Moth is a Moth and none to be sneezed at even though we don’t usually delve into the world of the Micro’s.First out was

 yet another

 CHESTNUT

along with a totally underwhelming

Depressaris daucella

 or maybe another of that rather difficult family group as advised by Messers Foot and Harris

Continuing the frost theme

and what is often the norm, decent numbers seem to have travelled south as our first flock of

GREENFINCH

appeared in the garden

A real stranger in the camp was this

easyJet

which is by no means a regular flyer from here but onward to more northerly climes

There, at the Irrigation Pond the cold seemed to have enticed a further 2 

 

LITTLE GREBEs

into the forum and if my eyes were not decieving me they were already into the mateing ritual of

Food Passing

At the Gravel Pit both

 LAPWING 

and

COMMON SNIPE

were nearly overlooked in the frozen long grass and with no better

images than these it was considered best to continue the rounds before a return

when they were likely to be more sun-kissed.

While the Heath was just about devoid of life there was a double figure count of

COMMON SNIPE

along the Moors River but they too and not unusually were also obscured.

However, the predicted and hoped for result back at the GP was worth the return

as all the Waders there were now active and far more viewable.

 LAPWING

 COMMON SNIPE

 LAPWING

 COMMON SNIPE

and who could resist snapping such a thing as a fully plumed male

MALLARD

in bright sunlight?

Returning to yesterday, there was a 4th Little Grebe on the IP (with all 4 noisily vocal) while the only hope across the RA of an addition was perhaps a Gull of sorts. The most likely of those not yet recorded here so far in 2020 being, in order, Great Blacked-backed Gull (the largest in size of the whole 54 strong world-wide family group), Mediterranean Gull and ironically something of a rarity here Common Gull. The best chance of the former is undoubtedly the aircraft hanger roofs within the airport, and sure enough Ciara had driven in at least c3. 

 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL

bringing the recording area list to a reasoable 72 species for the year.