Little Bird - Annie Lennox

After a 'hard' day at the office yesterday what better way to recover than to sit down to a traditional, farmhouse roast dinner? I really should have waited until everything was on the table, especially the wine, before taking the picture. No wonder I'm a F.F.B.

What was as close to a 'balmy' evening as we've had in recent days occurred last night and resulted in a decent haul from the Moth Trap. Once again Flame Shoulder predominated, there was a single addition* to the Property List resulting in all other (moth) images being of species caught last night but featured before.

 SCALLOPED OAK

 DINGY FOOTMAN

 VINE'S RUSTIC*

 SIX-STRIPED RUSTIC

A FLY of sorts, looks like a HOUSE one to me!

 The rest of the day remained warm with prolonged periods of sunshine and little in the way of wind, so ideal for a visit to

 Just a 15 minute drive on a clear road

 

and only a few minutes walk to any of the hides, this was a chance to see how the common breeding birds had fared this year. The WOODLAND HIDE produced good numbers of everything, but if you were looking for 'pristine' it was the wrong time of year. Most parent birds were knackered and dishevelled from a continuous toing and froing of providing for ravenous young, while they looked less than dapper in first flight feathers.

 male CHAFFINCH

 Distant and only
COAL TIT

 GREAT TIT

 NUTHATCH

 COLLARED DOVE

 dishevelled ROBIN

 juvenile GREENFINCH
just after a parent bird had left it to its own devices.

 I've never considered the beautiful BULLFINCH a rowdy bird, with its plaintive and quiet call, but they were today. This male was in company with an unknown number of youngsters making one hell of a racket. This photo was all that could be captured of the party.

 DUNNOCK

 also seem to have done well, it was great just to sit there and
watch this youngster going through its paces, 'feather stretching
(top) and lubricating the vocal chords.

 Young and 'ringed' BLUE TIT

 BLACK-HEADED GULL

at the Tern Hide along with Little and Great Crested Grebe, Canada, Greylag and Egyptian Geese (the later with Goslings that I was just too late to capture) and a start to the usual winter build up in numbers of Coot. There has to be between 3 and 400 there already. 

 The monosyllabic call of a CHIFFCHAFF was heard before leaving
the hide, which was coaxed out to pose for just a second or two
with a short series 'pishing' sounds.

 Finally, and just before departure, one of two
COMMON TERN
passed overhead.
Breeding? - The prognosis looks GOOD!

Of note, yesterday's Post wasn't the most memorable on record, in fact it qualifies as one of the most insipid. However, the Stat-Counter showed that 440 individuals visited the site with 300 being about average!

It would be even better if each of you could pass this Link

The Bagsy Blog 

via your Social Network, E-Mail, Face Book or other carrier to ALL your addressees. 
Thank You!

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Mellow Yellow - Donavan

Still windy overnight with the temperature falling slightly, but the rain held off so there was a decent return from the Moth Trap, of which c4 were new* to the list. In all c16 species which, along with Brimstone, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Buff Ermine, Scalloped Oak and Pebble Hook-tip, seemed to be predominantly one shade of YELLOW or another.

 THE DRINKER (female)

YELLOW SHELL*

A not particularly cooperative

DUSKY THORN*

had to be photographed 'in the pot'. However, when it came to be
released there was a reluctance to fly away.
It must have been suffering from that 'pen-top' feeling - geddit?
 Of note, this is my first encounter with this species!

 STRAW UNDERWING
a bit better shot than those of previous days.

HAWTHORN SHIELDBUG

A badly worn specimen thought to be
DARK-BARRED TWIN-SPOT CARPET*

By contrast a nicely marked and coloured
SQUARE-SPOT RUSTIC*

By 07:00 I was at the Avon Causeway just a 5 minute drive from Parley, but that was short lived. Even before arrival the windscreen wipers were in overdrive as a blanket of fine yet heavy rain cut across our corner of Dorset. Having got that far it was always going to be worth a cursory look which totalled c20 Egyptian Geese, a handful of Lapwing and a brace of Little Egret - return to base. During a brighter bright spell there was time for a short wander that also didn't produce a great deal!

SWALLOWS

here this year seem to have done remarkably well, with 

3 pairs (at least) bringing off young in the garage alone.

There are now young birds everywhere.

BLACK-HEADED GULL

now minus the crown as we cruise closer to Autumn.

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The Wall - Pink Floyd

With the description of yesterday being Autumnal, today with high winds, heavy rain and cold was surely Wintry. That however was in sharp contrast to last night with the balmy, still conditions being ideal for Moth catching. 'Hundreds' of Insects in the trap, not all Moths, this morning with an examples being c115

 FLAME SHOULDER

and about half as many
SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART

COMMON WHITE WAVE

FLOUNCED RUSTIC
were among the others with one or two held over until tomorrow.

Any appearance of

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
here is unusual while at Longham Lake, where I headed next,
they seem to be present on a daily basis.

FIELD SCABIOUS
is now showing its hand, while I guess the

WHITETHROAT
is contemplating the journey south along with
Reed and Sedge Warbler that were also noted here.

 What is thought to be
SLENDER BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL
could be considered a good find but more research is required.

 COMMON BLUE

While this was no more than a casual visit with no particular
target in mind we did, on the 5th time of asking, see a

WOOD SANDPIPER
which is the first addition to the Year List since Nightjar on 10/07..

 Plenty of SLUGS about

along with 'many dozens' of young
TUFTED DUCKS still on show.

Back at the ranch and it fell to me to open the latest package,

not at all an onerous task as it was a consignment of WINE
(which of course had to be tasted!)

The bulk on the day has been taken up with editing and sorting long outstanding photographs, all too long lying idle in the archive. Some forgotten, with others of great value to see again and reminisce on their origins. I doubt there will be anyone who will baulk at the prospect of seeing these stills and the short footage of one of the most enigmatic birds in the world.

WALLCREEPER

RHODOPE MOUNTAINS, BULGARIA

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