Thursday 20 August 2020

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!