Moon River - Andy Williams

 We feel that our much Valued Readership really don't mind whether the Post represents Friday or Michaelmas Wednesday as far as publication is concerned but would point out that the setting

ORANGE SUPER MOON

was in fact on Tuesday morning. Later in the day, as soon as daylight allowed we were in for another most welcome Moth but not before watching

a tussel directly above our head as

COMMON BUZZARD and CARRION CROW
locked horns!
Having been distracted we almost forgot about the once again Zero early morning temperature but soon warmed to the day when finding the only Moth across the 2 traps at home was not even contained within, but holding on doggedly to the rim of the funnel.

GREAT PROMINENT

right at the beginning of its

Flight Period

but seemingly not minding a bit of a walk as well!

with the 'also ran' being a similarly lone

PALE PINION
while simultaneously spotting

the first blooming

GREEN ALKANET
A quick look across both northerly Ponds produced no more than the continued presense of the

pair of

TUFTED DUCKs

with a display of
Roll Preening

Little of interst from the other traps while the nearby

ROWAN (Mountain Ash) seemed to burst into leaf overnight.
Again, good numbers of the more common and expected species, which we will highlight again in a later Post, saw us head off for the Solar Panel Compound to find

GREENFINCH
(male and female)

(male)

making preperations.

STOCK DOVEs

still looking nonplussed about losing thier nesting site.
To the Solar Panel Compound and firstly finding Sheep back

within

after the
Nettle Spraying

c2 Lapwing at a Distance

which could spell good fortune as this areaa is a

Traditional Nesting Site

It looked as if this sprakling male

STARLING

had bitten off more than it could chew

with this plump Larvae.
Time for tea as the last rays of the Sun spotlighted these 2 male

PHEASANTs

ended the day as it had begun with a tussle before

Taking the High Ground!

Blinded By the Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band

 Harking back to Sunday and Dave's visitation, there were a couple or 3 omissions which we should rectify before finding ourself on Captain's Report. Firstly 2 other species of Butterfly were added to the Year List by way of

SPECKLED WOOD
and

the sometimes destructive

SMALL WHITE
followed by a most interesting interlude which was well off my particular radar
but found to be of great interest

A PHEROMONE POT

which he was hoping would attract a tiny Moth that he had never seen before and by defintion me neither. It took most of the day, at various locations but "if at first you don't succeed", you know the rest and there was the Micro Moth

(Dave's Image)
PAMMENA ARGYRANA

Additionally and finally for that day he also spotted our first

SAND MARTIN
(adult)
where once they would readily breed

(juveniles)

(Juvenile left v Adult right)
but sadly no more - a sore subject!

Back to the day in question and again with not ideal temperatures we did manage to attract

WAVED UMBER
along with a

MUSLIN MOTH
both additions to the 'year list' while the latter we feel is more

eye-catching from the undercarriage.

A second appearance of a

HERALD
along with the return of

 OAK BEAUTYbut

were not to be sniffed at. It was also a day of the

BULLFINCH
(male)

which often keep a low profile
(female)

until the nuptuals begin

which seemed every bit the way on the day and soon after followed by a pair of close cousin

CROSSBILLs
Later, on the banks of the Moors River not only had the

CHAROLAIS

been released from their couped up winter quarter

(calves and all)

but had the company of a 'not seen before' quartet of juvenile
MUTE SWANs
Returning from flashing up the Moth Traps at Twilight there was a final welcome sight,
befofe swinging back into the hammock that of the
Bournemouth Univercity Football and Rugby

Pitches and Training Facility once again in the Lime Light and, as ever, well patronised!

Cuckoo Cocoon - Genesis

  From the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broaday.

Sunday and already a couple or 3 days in arrears to make matters worse, or better dependant on your point of view, up bowls Dave Foot. With the restrictions having been somewhat eased my aim was not to stay at a social distance but just far away enough that the money I owe him could not be handed back just yet. The mirth over it was down to the Moth Traps, a treat as he has not fired his own up thus far into the year, and pulled out over the course of the session all 'first's for the year'

the readily identifiable and common

SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART

OAK-TREE PUG
along with

KNOT GRASS
and the added bonus of a

Larvae, not captured on the day.
During that whole process, deep in the forest, was the endless Cucking and Cooing
of at least 2 Cuckoo's which were not even seen let alone brought to book

but as we have had some

Magic Moments

with such an enigmatic creature in the past

we are pleased to be able to illustrate it here

via our archive!
Dave also took a look at our nesting

MUTE SWANs
and solved our conundrum as stating that the 'sitting bird' right

has less of a projection, 'knob' at the base of her bill.

Looking every bit as if a profussion of

GROUND VIOLETs
had sprung up overnight there was also time for a short

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG
this area having served as an airfield in maybe both World Wars? where were found both a

TIZER BOTTLE (right) and an ancient MILK BOTTLE (left)

and an ancient MILK BOTTLE (right).
Unfortunately, we were unable to produce any Reptiles from under the covers

but on top of one it was found that REYNARD had left a neat little package,
while under another a predated

EMPORER MOTH

COCOON

and the wonderment of how
Mighty Oaks
spread and form their shape among a backdrop of Aspens in what is the western fringe of
The New Forset
created by King William I in about 1079
as an area for the Royal Hunt.
Among the Leaf Litter were also found the magnificent

MINATOR BEETLE

with menacing looking but harmless horns along with a

BLOODY NOSE BEETLE

just showing the red-patch on the hear that suggests the name!

GUIMBAL CABRI - VOLER AVIATION SERVICES

More Tomorrow? - Oh Alright Then!