A Day in Durnovaria

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow don't be alarmed now, it's just a Spring-clean from the May Queen, Yes there are two tracks you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road your on! - Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin.

Well there was certainly a bustle in a hedgerow at Radipole yesterday afternoon, as Bowie and I raced down to investigate an unusual Orchid reported to us earlier by Paul Harris. Finding straight away the colony of Bee Orchids, partly strimmed down by the RSPB last year, it was some while before we were able to detect our 'target', but once we did WOW, what a specimen!

It is still not certain what it is, but this variety of 'Dark Morph' Bee Orchid is, as far as is known, only the second specimen found in Great Britain. Lorne (Bowie) Edwards, being something of an authority on the subject, is going to make further investigations and keep me informed of any findings. For now the reader will have to be content with a few photographs.

The nominate race of Bee Orchid, fairly common throughout Great Britain.

Detail of the same flower, note the 2 yellow dots, yellow bib and the white bordered blue extension.

The Dark Morph variety of Bee Orchid,

and flower detail lacking the pattern as described above.

Durnovaria is the Latin form of the Brythonic name for the Romans town Dorchester, both County and Market town of Dorset. Today I decided to take our overseas readers, and those here in England not familiar with the charms of Dorset, on a short tour of this very special place. Dorchester is thought to have started its existence as a Roman Garrison Fort, with the first habitation many, many years before centered on the Iron Age Hill Fort of Maiden Castle. As early as 1800 BC, the area was used for the production of crops with the so called 'castle' being built around 600BC. In about 450 BC it was extended to such a size that it became, and still remains the largest 'earth works' in Britain, with some authorities claiming the biggest in Europe? In the 1st Century AD the Romans arrived, and as has been asked so many times "what did they ever do for us"?

I started my wander at the western end of the town, at The Keep which some call Dorchester Castle. This has, in its time, served as a fortification, Army barracks and is today a Military Museum.

At Top O' Town I took this shot down High West Street, once the main east / west arterial road from London to the West Country, and now the heart of the town, before moving on to view

this beautiful monument to both the town's and the counties 'favourite son' Thomas Hardy. Born in 1840 at Higher Bockhampton, a picturesque and tiny village, to the east of the town, he died some 88 years later at Max Gate at the edge of Dorchester. Both houses remain a Mecca to many thousands of Hardy lovers each year.

The Parish Church of St Peter's lies on the main street, while behind

are the Chapter House, associate cottages and another church now in ruins.

In St Peter's church yard is another monument to a 'former father' of the county, William Barnes (1801 - 1886) poet, writer, minister and philologist.

Directly opposite is what could also be described as a monument, but to a man far less humane than the previous 2 mentioned. George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem, (1645 - 1689) also known as the the 'Hanging Judge', was Lord Chancellor and Lord High Steward to King James II. He presided over what became known as the "Bloody Assizes" in the autumn of 1685, at which harsh sentences were handed out to the Duke of Monmouth's followers after the Monmouth Rebellion. Nearly 200 people were hanged, and more than 800 transported to the colonies as indentured laborers. Jeffreys held the assizes in the Great Hall of Taunton Castle, current home of the Somerset County Museum. The building, now the Judge Jeffreys Restaurant, was his lodgings during the months he sat at the court.

Jeffreys, the 'Hanging Judge'.

Dorset County Museum. containing among other artifacts, Thomas Hardy's study as it stood at Max Gate.

The Corn Exchange

The Town (water) Pump, the central point of the town.

A typical Dorchester street scene.

Part of the River Frome system in the town.

With some of these images, especially this across a cow dotted water meadow, it is difficult to believe that none were taken more than 50 yards from the town itself.

Grey's Bridge (across the River Frome) is the eastern gateway to the town, and if you think you might like to damage it,

be WARNED!

High Street, Fordington which is now an adjoined part of the town.

The village church, indicating just how wealthy and prosperous these ancient hamlets must have been.

And next door the Vicarage, once the home of my first love Sue Lloyd. Namesake of the actress and model of the time (1962) she was no less effervescent and beautiful. The architypal 'hippie', even before they were invented, Sue and I enbarked on many early musical forays, enjoying the likes of (a very young) John Mayall, Alexis Korner, Howlin' Wolf and BB King.

Here is a view of that quaint and probably quintessential English pastime, the Car Boot Sale. Members of the public turn up in their cars at the Dorchester market site (and elsewhere), usually a venue for the sale of anything from a carrot to a hacksaw, to sell their unwanted items contained in the boot (trunk as the Americans would say).

Onward to Maumbury Rings a late neolithic Henge, dating from c2500 BC. The earthworks was used by the Romans as an amphitheater and is occasionally use today for Rock, or other types, of musical concerts.

Given an age of over 4500 years wouldn't you think today's toerags would at least leave it clean and tidy? On my visit, there were dozens of items of littler, while an empty rubbish bin sat redundant less than 20 feet away!

By clicking on the photograph then clicking on it again, the magnified image should be readable.

On the way home, I was blessed by meeting not one but two young and quite separate Asian gentlemen followed by some interesting conversation. The first was from Sri Lanka and given that both may visit this site, the following photographs are dedicated to them and their families and friends. Good to meet you both.

For Sri Lanka, where I visited just one year after the tsunami.

Sigiriya Rock, a bit of a climb but what a view.

After the giant wave, helping? local fishermen.

Waterside scene.

The other chap was from India, so a couple of shots from my visit there.

A male Indian Peafowl.

Indian 'Mugger' Crocodile.

Indian Roller

Credit Where Credit's Due!

After a late text yesterday evening announcing the arrival of a 'calling' Quail at Portland Bill, there was only one destination to head for today. On the way to the early bus, a walk through the Radipole Reserve produced a few Sand & House Martins, the odd Swift, c4 Black-headed Gulls and a Song Thrush feeding young, but better than all of that was the overall look of the place. It's many a year since I've seen so much vegetation there in late Spring. This time last year, my notes tell me, the 'strimming gang' had already visited twice, cutting all plant-life back some 2 feet either side of the path, but this year it has been barely touched. For that the site is looking, as it should, like a truly wild place and if Cy Knott, the one legged tramp who lived there in the 60's, had appeared out of the undergrowth I would not have been surprised. As coincidence would have it I met both a wheelchair bound 'birder' and 2 anglers, complete with Carping tackle with none of us having any difficulty in passing. I have decided that it is fair, given my constant protests about 'strimming', that I should take the credit for this. I just hope the RSPB continue this (lack of) good work and don't decided to cut it back because of voicing these observations.

Buddleia Loop looking as it should, a proper Wild Place.

Apart from visiting entirely the wrong location at The Bill, there had been no further signs of last evenings Quail, but my search along the 'terrace fields' turned up an unseasonable Reed Warbler, my first Marbled White Butterfly and a whole host of Magpie Moths. At Culverwell an un-ringed (perhaps pointing to a new arrival) Willow Warbler was of note, but that completed the sum total for the day. Attention then changed to plants and flying insects, a few of which were photographed:-

Greater Knapweed

Lady's Bedstraw

Maybe we've had enough photographs of Large Skipper this Spring, but the contrasts in colour on this one was just too much of a temptation.

Pyramidal Orchid

Pyramidal Orchid (detail)

-Red Admiral, showing both upper & under-wing.

Woolly Thistle

Common Buzzard a distant sentinel at the Terraced Fields.

Bee Orchid, just 'gone over'.

Bee Orchid (detail), unfortunately I fear about a week too late.

Marbled White Butterfly. Today saw the first real emergence of this striking insect.

Another Comment from an obvious champion of our fragile Wildlife

I've been an avid reader of your blog for a couple of months now and have held the best interests of the Chesil Terns at heart since I started voluntary watches on the colony of Commons that used to frequent the beach at Chickerell Hive way back in the late 70's and early 80's.

These days pressure on my time prevent me from becoming actively involved in Tern 'work', instead I have to be content to watch and photograph birds of any/all species in the limited time available. Roll on retirement!

In those days we wouldn't dare walk into a colony, let alone 'purposely' disturb the incumbent birds for any reason whatsoever, even when there were obviously many tens if not hundreds of pairs, so why, oh why, do the latest band of experts deam it acceptable to go and ring just a few chicks that are never ever likely to be recaptured? Surely this flies in the face of the very intention of ringing!

I know only too well how difficult it is to confidently detect a nesting Tern's exact whereabouts or, put another way, how easy it is to tread on a nest, so I trust those experts that went 'a ringing' had spent a good many hours observing the nest sites and establishing a safe and expedient plan of 'attack'? I well remember spotting a Ring Plover's nest with sitting parent just 10 feet from one of our old hides at Chickerell and I had been watching the Terns there for four hours before it became obvious! Say no more.

Why can't they simply look, enjoy and leave the birds to their own devices, just like we used to? I fear actions of this nature have more to do with justifying one's position in the pecking order of experts and ticking the right boxes than the protection and preservation of such a vulnerable and valuable relict population of a very, very special little bird. Prevent predation by all means but please leave it at that.

Keep up the good fight and I couldn't agree more with your recent concerns over untimely 'building works' and 'arson'!

Nick Stantiford
Wyke Regis

All Our Yesterday's & Today's

The sun is shining the weather is sweet yeah, makes you want to move your dancing feet! (Finlay Quaye), so it cannot possibly be Wimbledon or Glastonbury?

So, if it stays fine, which it is forecast to do, we won't have Cliff Richard warbling at the All England Tennis Club and the ganja should stay dry at the latter. I guess we have all said at one time or the other, "where did those years go" but to see that today marks the 40th 'birthday' of Glastonbury beggars belief. The natural continuation of what used to be the world renown 'Bath Blues Festival', these musical gathering did run side by side in the beginning, with the BBF finally giving way to the much bigger event. I was at the very first of these now defunct gigs, where for the princely sum of £2.00 you got to see the bands mentioned on the poster below where, like the Isle of Wight Festivals that followed the saying was "if you could remember it you weren't there"! I do have some vague recollections, though a smoke filled (purple) haze, of Rory Gallagher chiseling yet more chunks off his already battered Stratocaster, Stan Webb (then of Chicken Shack with the incomparable Christine Perfect on keyboards & vocals) venturing into the audience with his 'trademark' extended guitar lead and Kieth Emerson (of The Nice, later to become ELP = Emerson, Lake and Palmer) knifing to death yet another set of ivories. Add to that the very first outdoor appearance by the then budding Led Zeppelin, who had release their debut album (I) just 2 months earlier and where showcasing (II), Jimmy Page took a violin bow to his Gibson Les Paul, for the first time publicly, during the seminal Dazed & Confused.

This poster commands 'pride of place' at the top of my stairwell, so each time I climb the 'wooden hill' I'm taken back to the Bath Rugby Ground.

John (Ginger) Prince, former Leading Seaman in charge of the Seaman's Mess aboard HMS Undaunted, and his lovely wife Val visited me last evening for a long awaited dinner date. Prior to my return from South America in February Ginge and I had only met briefly once since my 21st birthday in 1967. It was through the pages of this Blog that we met up once more, and it was great to see you again 'Old Ships' (and Mrs 'Old Ships').

Ginge and Val with the 'Cook of the Mess' poking his nose in.

Obviously, much of the conversation was centered around the Grey Ghost of the Dorset Coast (the colloquially dubbed HMS Unwanted) but by the end of the evening most of the world's Sea Areas had been 'visited'.

On the crest of a wave.

With the black topped funnel marking, denoting Captain of the 2nd Frigate Squadron, HMS Undaunted in her heyday. Seen here carrying out a RAS (Replenishment at Sea) with one of the fleets oil/stores vessels, this maneuver requires best 'seamanship' practices by all concerned.

One of a whole flotilla of Type 15 anti-submarine Frigates she met a useful but ignominious end.

Towed hundreds of miles into the Atlantic Ocean, her final hours were as a target for Exocet missile trials.

Disappearing into the deep blue sea.

A Magpie Moth that strayed into the garden overnight, and then on to Ferry Bridge and the Bill. The only signs of birdlife at the Bridge were c2 Common Terns, as the Little Terns continue to feed young and incubate eggs.

At the Bill there were plenty of Large Skippers on the wing,

plus a representative of the ever growing population of Pheasants there.

There were c4 Common Swift feeding above Top Fields, which were bedecked with

Common Mallow

The best sight of the day came while coffee-ing at the side of the Observatory pond, as this Emperor Dragonfly commenced

ovipositing (laying her eggs) below the water service.

Thought to be Hedge Bedstraw

An overflying Fleet Air Arm helicopter is an unfamiliar sight over Portland since the Squadron was disbanded and the Heliport closed down to all except the Search & Rescue 'chopper.

Field Bindweed

A Falmouth (FH693) registered 'crabber' heads for Portland Harbour.

and finally, Upstaging the 'Dorset Echo'.

A bit of action to report from today's walk which will doubtlessly appear in the local press in a few days time.

Turning to leave the Ferry Bridge foreshore, palls of dark smoke were rising above Wyke Regis from a domestic house fire. It certainly looked serious enough, but as if to endorse that theory 3 fire fighting appliances raced to the blaze.

and reaching Sweethill, I encountered the Dorset Echo photographer snapping away at the Weymouth & Portland Dog Warden and a lady on horse-back. They were obviously there to further the story of a Stafford Terrier that, despite being on a lead, attacked one of the local horses. The story as I got it was, a young man taking his girlfriend's dog for a walk, lost control of the lead as the dog raced to attack what at first I thought was a foal. It turned out to be an adult of a small species of horse that the dog had quite badly bitten at the top of its front right leg. The dog owner then disappeared, but later returned to face the music, after which the story becomes dim. So you'll have to buy the Echo!

Wales Revisited

A late post yesterday wasn't my fault, I was forced into drinking 50 year old 'single malt' whiskey and 'fine red wine' while gorging on extremely good Chinese food, from 'Yum Yum' on Abbotsbury Road (advert) the best I've had since Guilin, China.

Guilin, China where just 2 years ago we watched the Cormorant fishermen catch much smaller fish than those shown on the TV advert.

after a hard day at the office, chiefy looks all 'Shagged' out!

Here are the culprits, Annie & Paul Harris who came round last night for a late celebration of Paul's 50th birthday. Armed with the afore mentioned '50 year old', it was all my pleasure to drink to the next 50 - Happy Birthday Mate!

On the doorstep at the crack of 11-30 (only joking) I found this Heart & Dart moth. It's been 16 years since I last laid a 'moth trap', seeing very few of these diverse insects except at the Portland Bird Observatory, so it was a 'mile-stone' to add this species to the garden list now standing at 5.

and returning briefly to the subject that is keeping me from enjoying my retirement to the full, I publish yet another point of view from long time local 'birder' Dick Morris who did in fact get through to my Comments page:-

Dick said... Aye aye Bagsy!
You already know of my thoughts about the RSPB! As regards Ferrybridge and the Little Terns I think we all know they are fighting a losing battle not helped by some inept Wardening and it was about time they left them to it (Terns that is). Build a big fence in March and hope for the best.

Which leads me on neatly to yet another e-mail to the RSPB:-

* From: Harris Paul
* To: Paul Baker , peter coe
* Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:57:14 +0000 (GMT)
* Subject: Fw: Little Terns

Gents, just for info, this is e-mail sent to Nick Tomlinson.
Bagsy, tried to post comment but it failed. I must be doing something stupid but will try again later.
Cheers

--- On Tue, 22/6/10, Harris Paul wrote:


From: Harris Paul
Subject: Little Terns
To: "Nick Tomlinson"
Date: Tuesday, 22 June, 2010, 18:43

Hi Nick, I trust this finds you well? To the point, I wanted to raise an issue with you re the Ferrybridge Little Tern colony. I had a call from Pete Coe last night. Pete had spoken to Luke at Radipole and was told by Luke (an RSPB employee I think?) that 'they' were going to Ferrybridge yesterday afternoon to ring Little Tern chicks. He told Pete they were doing this despite the fact that there were still birds incubating. To be honest both Pete and I were incredulous and I understand Pete made his feelings known at the time. This is a species that has just got back the tiniest toehold after years of failure. I simply cannot believe it is worth the disturbance at such an early stage in their recovery just to ring some birds. This especially so given that there are birds still incubating. Entering the colony would no doubt have flushed all the birds. How could anyone say with absolute certainty that exposing nests in this way would not allow any predators onto the eggs/young. Given the sterling work that has been done here to encourage the birds back, why risk failure with such a venture.

Is not Little Tern a schedule 1 breeding bird? Is the RSPB immune from the rules regarding disturbance of species covered by this schedule? I would be interested to know what permissions were given for this and from where? To my mind this is no different to walking into the reed-bed at Lodmoor and ringing Marsh Harrier chicks, also, as you know, a schedule 1 species. God forbid anyone comes up with that idea.
I look forward to your response.
Best wishes,
Paul Harris

My view:- I have known Paul for more years than either of us care to remember, one of that exclusive club of 'top rate' birders he is more content "getting on with it" than raising an issue. For him to do so highlights the seriousness of the desecration going on around here. The bigotry and intransigence that is the RSPB could never recognise this - have we all got it wrong out here - while they continue to loose support.

Return to Wales

You may remember a few days ago Bowie & Sheila and I headed off to Wales to 'twitch' the Marmora's Warbler, then headed to Kenfig Pool in search of Orchids. While there, Bowie headed for high ground, armed with GPS, in an attempt to find Fen Orchid. In his attempt, he stumbled upon a strange variety which neither of them had seen before. To be honest, his delight and arm waving at the top of the hillock was more akin to finding the end of the rainbow!

What I know about Orchids you could write on a postage stamp, so I copy their letter and photographs below.

Hi there Bagsy

Here are the photos of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, and I believe the Orchid to be Dactyloriza purpurella what I believe to be a variety of Northern Marsh Orchid. It is of the variety called atrata and its deep dark colour is referred to as 'hyperchromic'. In the Field Guide 'Orchids of Great Britain', Harrap states that in Great Britain this only occurs in Hartlepool, but my own research among fellow authorities, who have seen these photographs, fall 50% for D. purpurella (Northern Marsh) and 50% say D. praetermissa (Southern Marsh) so we are really no further ahead. Stan Jordan, who we met in the Scilly Isles, found 2 plants at Kenfig last year and posted photos on HOS; (link below), so we are still trying to fin a 'real expert' who can decide
http://www.hardyorchidsociety.org.uk/hyppraet.htm
what it is.
Regards Bowie (Lorne) & Sheila.

3 views of the Orchid in question.

Southern or

Northern

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Butterfly

and a couple of shots sent to me by a friend, no idea of origin.

Osprey with Carp.

Osprey with Trout.