MOSTLY - Western on the Quiet Front

 While still “In the Deep Mid-Winter” and with the absence of Moths yesterday the overnight air temperature continued to hang on doggedly to +9°C. With the year no more than 4 weeks old we have already clocked up a couple of species, so readily accept one per fortnight as a decent average! But hang on, as Thursday morning saw c2 more specimens both clinging to the first egg-tray to be plucked from the trap. No problem with identifying

CHESTNUT

another 'first for the year' while number 2 had us stumped! Most likely a Winter Moth, but not quite right, we eventually succumed to calling in reenforcements with Bomber announcing

EARLY MOTH

a Little Darling we had never even seen before let alone captured on our
Recording Area.

Additionally, there was this unidentified (too much else going on) 

ICHNEUMAN WASP
while a qurtet of

MUTE SWANs
cut across an ever clearing sky, as usual one of the local

KESTRELs
kept an eye on us from above as the

HERRING GULLs
persued their favourite passtime - eating! Otherwise down south, the recent flock of hundreds of

REDWING
and

FIELDFARE
had reduced to double figures only while

DUNNOCK

abound proportionately.

Given that it was unlikely to get any worse, 'it did', as both Ponds were devoid of most Birds but more particularly Waterfowl, the Tufties particularly all gone! Up to then it was only a couple of

GREY SQUIRREL

that kept the Home Fires burning.
The Heath once again was something of a dead loss unless you count the

half dozen

STOCK DOVE
and rather washed out

STONECHAT
which we do in the name of 'padding' and as the mowing continues?
A 'last ditch' was made along the
Sewerage Works Fence
where the old reliables such as

CHIFFCHAFF

appeared to be finding plenty of groceries,

GOLDCREST
(female)

(male already into crest-flashing)
along with

SONG THRUSH

tuning up for the Season to come!