Monday 20 July 2020

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!