Four Ducks on a Pond

 

a grass-bank beyond.
A blue sky of spring,
white clouds on the wing.
What a little thing, to remember for years.
To remember with tears!

William Allingham 1824 to 1889

 With the overnight chills persisting and aided and abetted by the continuing presence of the

PINK MOON
we did perch one of the home-bound traps

high on the Bund in hopes of a 'migrant' but securing instead a slightly early but not to be sniffed at

first of the year

LESSER SWALLOW PROMINENT
continuing the daily search we happened upon the

MUTE SWANs

making a first serious attempt at nest building on the opposite side of the main pond

from the successful site of last year, but never seem satisfied with a first, or even second, attempt!
A lack of birds, except for the most common, was the way along the southern edge but the

FLOWERING CHERRY

are providing a most welcome substitute.
Only a small addition to the Moth total in the first Solar Panal Compound but as a surprising bonus what may very well be c2 additional

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE

to those seen over a mile away in the second compound or on the Heath on occations??
At the Gravel Pit we welcomed back the wayward

c4 male and single female (there's always one that won't co-operate) and Mallard

female

male
while at the final moth trap in the main Solar Panel Compound we now have the daily joy of watching the pair of

PIED WAGTAIL

engaged in their own bout of procreation within this large
Accumulator Cabinet
with the Sheep Proof Moth Trap in the foreground.
Finally, our thorough seach of the compound came up with this lone

WHIMBREL
in the rough

which may well have been a 'crumb' from the
Portland Bird Observatory Table
they having logged c201 on the same day??
Hopefully More Manana!