The Birds and the Bees - Dean Martin

The overnight forecast for Saturday night didn't look at all promising

with a threat of heavy rain predicted for the first part of Sunday morning at least.

 Already the clouds were gathering as were the 'luminaries' in the form of

Phil Sterling and Dave Foot

with just enough daylight to lay the most moth traps (10) we have ever set here on a single visit!
All will be revealed once we have completed the Log, ID's and Images!

However, there had been some action on the daily rounds prior to their arrival with

 CANARY-SHOULDERED THORN

 ROUND-WINGED MUSLIN

 along with

 CAMPION

added to the year list.

During that period a 'skein' of c28

 GREYLAG GEESE

had flown over making for the largest airbourne gathering we have ever recorded here.

 None of them landed with this image being for example only.
What followed could only be described as a combination of Shock and Great Delight
as we witnessed an adult

 LITTLE GREBE

towing a beak full of

 pond weed
towards an already well constructed nest

with a single egg in it.

 On the downside, there was no sign of the Humbug (youngster)
of last Wednesday!
 On the way to the Heath we had a brief sighting of the c3

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE
which had once again returned to the 
Solar Panel Compound
they must put in some miles!

 c2 STOCK DOVE

had taken up station on the
Raptor Tree

one of them not lingering long, but look at that nape!
Just a very short clip of a

DARTFORD WARBLER
not to be missed under any circumstances and followed by more

BLOOMING HEATHER
From our friend John Gifford there were a couple of most useful
Insect Identifications
with both the

 DEERFLY, Chrysops Relictus

 which he goes on to add as from the Horsefly family so they bite.

and
RED-TAILED BUMBLEBEE 
both new to me and

 may also sting?

but on both counts we got away with it. Again we could not resist

the ever changing plumage

of our host of juvenile

STONECHAT's

 It was also noted that a mighty gate has been errected at the 
Cattle Crush
so will soon be making investigations to find out what all that is about!

 To continue the 'high note' which this post is hoped has brought to you

 we ended the patrol

 by catching a superb

SOUTHERN HAWKER DRAGONFLY
we hope to commence the Sunday Shenanigans
MANANA!