Bits and Pieces - The Dave Clark 5

Well, the Old Adage

"rain before 7 - dry by 11"

didn't kick in yesterday!

13:00  
as if you need proof?

but eventually the traps were found to be more about the wierd than the wonderful

but did kick off with a couple of most welcome

Firsts For the Year Wonderfuls

 SMALL MOTTLED WILLOW

 and

 COSMOPOLITAN

 Beauty is only skin deep but the

EARED LEAFHOPPER

seems to be pushing the bounds followed by the first

 GIANT DIVING BEETLE

of the year.

 An irresistable ♀

FOUR-SPOTTED FOOTMAN

(especially when one flies onto your thumb)

 which is the only one of the pair to show the 'spots'.

We believe these to be ♂ and ♀ which we now have vernacular names for

 TANNER or SAWYER BEETLE

 Prior to these catures we did note a 

COMMON TOAD

padding its way across our track, it's so long ago we cannot recall the last one!
From here on it is a matter of'
'Bits and Pieces' 
from previous days.

FLEABANE

 has appeared here before this year but now at its optimum

was considered worth another look.

These 2 protaganists were heavily engaged in a bout of

 Cock Fighting

in the early morning gloom

 and driving on along the Solar Panel Compound perimeter fence

we found the reason why

the object of both of their desires.

 On the Panels were a few of the locals such as

 a decent number

 of juvenile

 MEADOW PIPIT

 the local

 COMMON BUZZARD

 and as ever

many 'dozens' of

 MISTLE THRUSH

 Looking across the Heath towards the Airport things looked less than ideal

until some kind soul put a bit of animation into things as

Tugging 

this aircraft to the maintenance hanger.

(we enjoy a 'racy' life here!)

It never did look like getting any better and when you start clicking and videoing

 ROBINs

as charming as they are

it is surely getting close to

Bottom of the Barrel Time!

The 'also rans' included a free-flying

 SPINACH

a brief encounter with a local

 DARTFORD WARBLER

 and on our return to base managed to

 capture this

LONG-WINGED CONEHEAD

among my own personal clump of

MALLOW.

In closing we again thank John Gifford for a number of the identifications.

Ever hopeful, we know the next Biggy is just around the bend and as long as we

remain fit and well we'll be at it again at about 06:00 manana!
Think we were lucky to get anything at all given the conditions.

THANKS FOR TUNING IN 

and

STAY SAFE AND WELL!