Rainy Day Woman 12 and 35 - Bob Dylan

In all its Glory the

SNOW MOON

There’s a Snow Moon waiting in the sky 

He’d like to come and join us but he thinks he’d blow our minds 

There’s a Snow Moon waiting in the sky

He told us not to blow it ‘cause he knows it’s all worthwhile

He told me

Let the children lose it, let the children use it

Let the children boogie

Adapted from the Bowie classic.

While today's images might paint a picture of a bright, sunny day it was far from that as we were confined to barracks until 14:00. More an exercise of monitoring the watercourses, now the increased temperature has taken care of the freeze there were a few morsels on offer. We should also point out that this Post harks back to Thursday - we have been a little adrift!

Don't let the Early Morning looks fool you, Hell soon broke loose!

On the Main Pond

we cannot ever remember there being c2

CORMORANTs
being here together.

Through driving rain and thier continuous feeding activities akin to a
Fiddles Elbow
there was never a chance of a video clip but they were catching plenty of Fish.
Additionally and most surprisingly the c4

CANADA GEESE
still remain in situ there, but time to head north.
No more than a returning male

TUFTED DUCK

in company with a single

MOORHEN
while at the Gravel Pit matters were little better with no more than a single

LITTLE GREBE
(at least they are starting the return - good news)

a pair of

dozing

MALLARD

along with another

MOORHEN
At these far more northerly latitudes it takes far longer for the

SNOWDROPS
to bloom. A strange event leaving the Moth Traps until this late in the day, it was only good fortune that had us add another species to the Year List and the last knockings of Winter

COMMON QUAKER
but we won't go into that!

Attempting to end on an 'up-beat note', the first Weatear has already been recorded in Wales along with a veritable swarm of assorted Moths elsewhere, while Swallows, Sand Martin et al are also trickling in from the near continent - Us Next!

Hully Gully - Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs Part II

 It seems to have been a long time in the coming, 19th Feb in fact, that we get around to Part II as a 'filler posts' in hope of keeping our Valued Readership entertained by returning to the Gulls theme. Once again with our stalwart friend Dave Foot the first Port of Call is

PENDOWER, CORNWALL
where during February 2018 we encountered both of the more common visitors from

Arctic Waters

in the form of

GLAUCOUS GULL

along with

the more

diminutive

ICELAND GULL

It had also been our good fortune to encounter another previously performing at the 'promontory' (right of picture) at

 Ullapool, Scotland in April 2009.
February 2015 took us to 

Littlehampton, West Sussex
where on arrival 2 young lads came over and asked
"your Bagsy arn't you"?
My stock answer to such a question from strangers is "it depends who's asking, if you are HM Inspector of Taxes then NO but otherwise yes. They were readers of this Blog with their company certainly adding to the enjoyment of the

'second winter'

(of its maturity)

KUMLIEN'S GULL
also keeping up the momentum of not only having recorded all 56 of the Gulls of the World but still falling short of photographing the outstanding 3. With our world travels at a planned stanstill we had immediately discounted ever 'clicking' the likes of Relict Gull, Kazakhstan being the nearest!
Had we been wielding a camara at the time the obliging Portland

IVORY GULL 

of January 1980 would have been a foregone, as would the long staying bird at the Montrose Basin, Scotland in 2002. Of the latter a plan has been agreed between Dave and myself that should one settle (always a risk) anywhere on mainland Great Britain then I would finance the 'twitch' while he does the bulk of the driving - here's hoping!

That just leaves

ROSS'S GULL
which had to be the most outstanding example of a
Mountain turning up outside of Mohamed's front door.
During the winter of 2018 one was found visiting a number of sites across Weymouth and Portland and luckily, only as a result of a phonecall from John Gifford were we able to cover the usual 1 hour drive to Lodmoor, Weymoth in 45 minutes flat and secure the images above and below.

Left with Black-headed Gulls

As a finale and a Brilliant Mickey Take, my dear friend and owner of the property on which we live, and well aware of my situation, hightailed it to Spitsburgen

returning with this, his own image

Ivory Gull Gift.

The Green, Green Grass of Home - Tom Jones

Another decent day weatherwise as we creep ever close to Spring but it was likely the blustery wind that once again kept the Moths at bay. It is also unlikely that there are many Dorset Wildlifers that can wake up to

EMU

but apart from the new addition at the paddocks

there was little, or nothing to hold us across Southern parts.
Before getting half way up North the were indications that the

TUGWELL TEAM
were hard at it with mowing, strimming, washing etc but there were 'rounds' to consider firrstly.

The small flock of

LINNETs

where showing better than previously across from Eco, along with singing Dunnock

but not a 'dicky' at either Pond, except when turning to leave.

Talk about 'perfect timing' 10 more seconds and we would have gone as

these 2

EGYPTIAN GEESE

flew in from the north.
Reaching the Solar Panel Compounds Adrian's team of hard-working lads
(we know that as spending our own working life just sat there studying such things)

With what he describes as £1M pounds worth of plant.

Strimming Hedgerows

for Maintenance and Emergency Vehicles

GRASS CUTTING

It’s one o'clock and time for lunch dum de dum de dum.
When the sun beats down and I lie on the bench
I can always hear them talk. Cus me, I’m just a lawnmower, you can tell me by the way I walk!

I Know What I Like - Genesis

PANEL WASHING

WATER BOWSER

A job well done with Wildlife in mind!