Thursday, 19 May 2022

Edith Piaf - The Little Sparrow

 It would be safe to say that most of the days action took place in the southern half of the Recording Area, but not quite all! c2 new species of Moth added to the Year List, by way of,

PALE TUSSOCK
and an
Equally Fine Specimen of
DOG'S TOOTH
while the local
PIED WAGTAIL
(bill full of victuals)
is once again nesting and feeding young
at the traditional nest site behind the farmhouse
Solar Panels.
Next, and far more worrying, it was found that neither
MUTE SWAN
appeared to be incubating (but had certainly added some more 'stout' material to the nest)
so took the opertunity to visit the Island, known as
but on the way found no few than
c4
Mute Swan
egg shells
strewn across the area while our observation of the nest
showed what looked like just
c2 of the previous count of 7
eggs within?
Next was to catch up on the
MALLARD DUCKLINGs
which seemed ship-shape and Bristol fashion, but next something most unexpected.
Absent, or more likely Hiding for a number of days now there, 'running' across the paddock was our ol' mate the male
MANDARIN
(Welcome Back)
While all from up North
came c2 half decent 'stills'
along with a
quarter of a dozen rather poor
videos and finally another most heartening shot, doing the rounds, of unfledged
TREE SPARROWs
from the Somerset Project which amounts to 'hundreds'.
By comparison we have recorded but a 'single' in our close to 10 years at this site and thought to be extinct as a breeding species across our home county, Dorset?