With the forecast
showing wind speeds of 40+ mph throughout the morning and similarly a 100% to
67% chance of rain up to and including 16:00 the ‘washout’ persists!
Reason then to award
myself a Guard and Steerage, a Royal Naval term for an extra 30 minutes in the
hammock should you have been performing either of these duties during the
middle watch 00:01 to 04:00, mid-night is never recorded in a RN log.
So, why not we take
another wander down memory lane
to somewhere not
quite so damp such as a
Madagascan Rain Forest?
It was in such a
biosphere that on the 01/11/2010 I found a
Madagascan Nightjar
at its nest and
single-handedly identified it, lucky there is only one species on the island!
It was decided that
we would linger no more than 5 minutes
(you can lose off a
whole lot of shots in that time period)
as the prospective parent bird was already agetated and did flush.
E for B and Be Your Best!
What a wonderous and
unforgetable sight!
Far luckier than that
at home as reluctant to say ‘every night’ but on many of them,
what better place to
be than on the blasted heath (Macbeth)
as the lower limb of
the sun kisses the horizon. Soon after that is the time when the
Nightjars
start ‘churring’,
that gentle almost mechanical reeling, that can
be heard, by us who
are lucky enough, right across the Heath.
Our fortunes with
this nocturnal species on the foto phront have also been good,
to say the least, as having
photographed 3 individuals with one of these
also ‘on the nest!
As far as the UK is concerned the Best was certainly saved until last as on the
24th June 2019
along with young Apprentice Josh we embarked on yet another foray across the
Heath
Being an academicion with Premiership Bournemouth FC he has a magical competative spirit which also overflows into the natural world. When we inspect the Reptile Covers we have to take it in turn and see who reveals the most Herps. Getting to the final one that day it was me in the lead with a single Sloeworm and Josh desperate to catch up.
He didn't, but in returning the cover he inadvertantly flushed a Nightjar and was told to instantly follow me back to the footpath as there may be a nest close by. As I reached the path, only 5 yards from the last cover, he called to me and was seen standing there with hands raised aloft and a Nightjar's egg between each thumb and forefinger. Totally unaware of the ramifications of what he was doing he was asked if he knew the exact spot where they had layed - he did. Returning them was followed by a very gentle explaination of the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the penaties for committing such actions, which was readily taken on board. Returning to the car (best Bird Hide in the World) we stationed ourselves a safe distance away in hope of seeing the adult bird return, which she did! Easy to see from such a distance the following images were taken from yet another
Great Day in the Field.
There are but a dozen people who are 'legally' allowed upon this hallowed turf
and it was one of them who willingly, knowingly and wantonly destroyed this nest, allowing
contractors to errect a fence directly (15 feet) alongside it.
A prima facia case for prosecution which the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act is quite clear about which may attract a £5,000 fine and / or a 6 month jail sentance but remains completely toothless!
