Sunday 31 May 2020

Garden - Groundhogs

 True to the Forecasters word again we saw a warm night with the
temperature falling no lower than +14°C
with our rewards including........

 PALE EGGAR
 GARDEN CARPET

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Featuring the fabulous Lead Guitar, Vocals and some of the finest Lyrics of
Tony TS (Top Stratocaster) McPhee
(another gentleman of the Blues Genre it has been my pleasure to meet)
BIRD'S WING
all first's for the year with a number of other interesting Insects besides.
 BROWN CHAFER
 CARDINAL BEETLE
and half a dozen
CLICK BEETLES
not only do they 'click' but also propel themselves forward with the effort.
Again, no 'ground-breaking stuff' but enough to keep the interest level at least
A-Midships 
starting again in the garden where the 
 SONG THRUSH
 have started to become showy
 as now feeding young within the
Corkscrew Hazel
 At the Irrigation Pond what remains of the depleted
 MALLARD FAMILY
continue to thrive but where there is a 'roundabout'
 there is usually a 'swing'!
In this instance it is the nest of the
LITTLE GREBEs
from where there has been no sign of eith eggs or chicks making this the
"poorest breeding year" for the species here since records began in 2013.
Again, there have been c2
 SAND MARTIN
'hawking' Insects over this watercourse but not even a glimmer of breeding!
Again, there have been a number of flights out of
Bournemouth International
but mostly out and back very quickly or what might be 
'Radar Calibrations'
for both fixed wing and helicopters - the Police Chopper never seems to be on the deck!
As we started with the 
THRUSH FAMILY 
so we will end and opposite to what has gone before the
MISTLE THRUSHES
(adults above juvenile below)
have, as usual, had
Great Success
across the breeding season.
Finally, a Blast from the Past
which may prove of interest?

the ⅔ white albino

BLACKBIRD
Found on 21 April 2019 on the Heath.

Saturday 30 May 2020

Young At Heart - Francis A Sinatra

Given to last, again the overnight temperature stuck doggedly in 
double figures bringing with it even more
First for the Year Moths
BRIGHT-LINE BROWN-EYE
 SHARK
 DARK ARCHES
 SERAPHIM
along with one of the more bizzare
 denizens of the night
BLACK-SPOTTED PLIERS SUPPORT BEETLE
Sticking close to home in the first instance spotting
Harry Carpenter - Boxing Commetator 
on the lawn we presumed that there was about to be a fight
 and a colourful one at that.
Gentle sparring would be a better description
 but all in the name of
winning the 'claw' of a
Lovely Lady
The first of the juvenile
ROOKs
was also chancing its arm lingering only long enough for this shot,
but the feeling is it or they may well be back!
We have also been keeping a careful eye on the 
HONEYSUCKLE
at the gateway to the Heath and found it blooming now with the hopes that a
Hummingbird Hawk-moth
might happen along.
QUIET
isn't quite the word we would choose in an open forum to describe
the activity within, but this being a family publication we'll leave it at that!
All on offer was the first of the juvenile
 MEADOW PIPITs

 to break cover, a first flush of
 ELDER FLOWER
 along with a none too obliging
 Family Party
of
 GREAT TITs
 still being fed by the parent birds.
Otherwise, and Finally more Invertibrates overlooked from the previous day
 COMMON POLLEN BEETLES
and 
PILL WOODLOUSE and WHITE-LEGGED MILIPEDE
feeding on what is thought to be a
COMMON NEWT
given where they were found.

Friday 29 May 2020

They Call Me Toadstool as being Some Kind of Fun-gi

Another warm night attracted another batch of
First's for the Year Moths
in the shape of
PINE HAWK-MOTH
 one of the 'big boys'
 WILLOW BEAUTY
SCORCHED WING
 with abdomen raised, a usual stance
SNOUT
For no other reason than we have been saying let's get down to the
CARP LAKES
and take a look at the Otter Fence which has been errected for
a full nine months now this was where we commenced today's wander.
FOXGLOVE
first to be noticed this year beneath my favourite
OAK TREE
on the property.
Met by this handsome
GRASSHOPPER
at the gateway to the Heath it was only a few minutes before we stumbled across
yet another pair of
WOODLARK
obviously feeding young but a long way from the others previously
reported some weks ago.
Wether they are 'new arrivals' or 'second brooders'
will never be known
but simply gracing our patch
is a wonderment in itself!
Next up was the first
SMALL HEATH
of 2020
and although seen before this year it is always welcome to see such as
SMALL COPPER BUTTERFLIES
in the process of procreating! From there it was to the Airport perimeter fence where loading and
UNLOADING
a number of 
AIRBUS AIRLINERS
carries on almost continuously, maybe we should have a
Clap Evening
for these fine teams?
No great shakes but it was pleasing to get this close to a
RABBIT
seemingly unaware of our presence as was the same for our first of year
BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER
On the return journey the Solar Panel Compound
seemed to be bursting the boundries with
STARLING
with many, in this state of plumage, as
Eye Catching
as any bird you would wish to see!
Oil on Water
springs to mind.
2 other suprises within were firstly this huge and considered long time dead
PUFFBALL
type Fungi and this young bird which took some deliberation
 having a 'yellow' tinged belly
but surely a juvenile

WHITETHROAT
and we can already hear, pre-publication the
"oh no's,not again"
but this year alone we have fallen head over heals with  the humble
ROOK
this one right outside our door!
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