His Latest Flame - The King

 The pre-dawn silence was shattered by what sounded like c2 squabbling

GREY HERONs

but more excitingly, in the background a transiting

CURLEW 

A scarce species here, to say the least, hence the addition to the Year List.  Again the sky looked threatening and surely there was a heavy shower due,

 but not before we plucked the

Prize of the Day

                       from one of the 'home-based' Moth Traps                                                                          

RADFORD'S FLAME SHOULDER

Only discovered on our shores in recent years it is almost a 'dead-ringer' for the far, far more common Insect, simply the

FLAME SHOULDER

Note the pale leading edge of the fore-wing only goes about ¾ of the length. Radford's is one of 3 Moths with similar distinction, and if my own feelings are anything to go by, much sort after in any year! The other 2 being

CLANCY'S RUSTIC

which still remains an object of our annual desire and

LANGMAID'S YELLOW UNDERWING
of which we caught a good number earlier in the season. Otherwise, there was no more than a bedraggled and rather washed out

VESTAL

The early morning

Just a better image of the Cargo Carrying BOEING 737 as of 16th inst.

didn't even ruffle the feathers of the 3 to 4 dozen

ROOKs

perched on the overhead cables.
With there having been a count of 147

EGYPTIAN GEESE
along the Dorset side of the Avon Causeway, less than 2 miles from here,

in recent days it was always considerd something of a banker that we might get one of our own.
This on the Gravel Pit along with the

pair of now longish staying

GADWALL
With reports of Northern Thrushes (Redwing and Fieldfare) and Black Redstarts

coming from all directions, it was thought worth giving the Sewerage Work Hedge a good going over

but only came away with a vocal

ROBIN

At the gateway to the Heath things were looking even more dire but a little glow caught the eye

of a

RAINBOW
starting to form, became a 'double' and

into  full and unbroken arch.
From the rest of that visit all that could be mustered was the song of a

DUNNOCK

what is considered to be a

'scarce' bird at this location.

There were but c2

MAGPIES
among the host of mixed Meadow Pipit, Starling and Goldfinch
only outnumbered by the hundreds of

SHAGGY INK CAP

some gone over

and others in their prime. Another attemp was made for the Thrushes across the southern pastures without success, but it is the time of year when we stop and take in the beauty of this

particular combination of Cultivated Plants - well done the Gardener.

The gardener does not love to talk, she makes me keep the gravel walk, 

And when she puts her tools away, she locks the door and takes the key. 

Robert Louis Stevenson