How do you know it's full? 'Cus there's not Mushroom inside!
Lonnie Donagan - My Old Man's a Dustman
With things still not happening as they should at this time of year,
it was again time to lean on Dave and employ his suggestion of a little
Ground Bait!
A cocktail of boiled Demerara Sugar in Red Wine was sure to do the trick,
so before lighting-up time the concoction was sprayed on
tree trunks, wooden gates and fence posts alike!
Question is, "why didn't I just stay at home and drink it myself??
Nowhere near the success rate of the privious night, there was nothing to add to the list
but there were as ever a few
Eye Catchers!
CANARY-SHOULDERED THORN
GREEN CARPET
and
ROSY FOOTMAN
Into the Great Wide Open
under the skies of blue, out in the great wide open a Rebel without a clue!
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
We found maybe the harbiger of the much hoped for Autumn influx, on the
Main Pond.
It has happened before and will doubtless happen again that a lone female
WIGEON
landed there
making for our 109th Bird Species of the year across the
Recording Area.
At the same site was an unusually bold
GREY HERON
simply wandering along the metalled road with this clip
showing just how bold
as close passing traffic was of no concern!
The luck continued as we reached the Gravel Pit where another 'inbound'
was located, a
COMMON SNIPE
which is generally as the name suggests
but here
something of a scarcity.
This being only the 3rd
found here this year!
It was of some note and interest that one of the anglers had caught a small
TENCH
as we keep records of all 'wild' things here.
Additionally on the Pit there was also 'the' male
GADWALL
in company this time with one of the
LITTLE GREBE's
but no signs of the female and also looking nervous.
it didn't stay long as the clip shows.
Also there was a cracking
GREY WAGTAIL
also thought to be a returning bird as there has been no sign right across the
Breeding Season!
A good deal more activity on the
Heath
today than yesterday as the almost depleted
STONECHAT's
started making a welcome return
without knowing whether these are longer distant migrants or those which may
spend the winter here?
Once we get onto the barbed wire theme there really is no stopping us
as thinking such a perch to be aesthetically perfect for both
ROBIN
and
WHEATEAR
alike!
Not surprisingly
CHIFFCHAFF
are still knocking about with the occassional
Juvenile
and
SONGSTER
While checking out the
PUFF-BALLS
(some as big as yer head)
(some as big as yer head)
which numbered c2 'tennis ball' size 10 days ago
which have now become 2 x footballs along with c6 tennis balls while the
CARRION CROWs
have been up to their usual and eating them.
While we have recorded Nightjar on the Heath during a number of successive
Septembers we usually keep something of a special eye out for them as likely the last we will
again until next year. A slow drive acoss the Heath, on full spotlight, usually has the desired effect
but not so last night. Content in the fact that there should be another crack of the whip we happily
flashed up the traps and headed towards a decent glass of Port - 'medicinal' of course, but we were delayed. There, just outside of the gates to the farmhouse and no more that 30 yards
from my own abode, there sat, right out of habitat, a
NIGHTJAR
Will this prove to be the last one of the year, either way it seems to have been
a GREAT year for them??
PS - the 'Moth Cocktail' didn't work either but doubtful it will be the last time we try!
