The Bagsy Blog

Tuesday, 30 June 2015

In God's Country - U2

Not that I believe in the Bogey Man you understand, but it's 'Someones' Country
It may not look like much from that distance but it is a

MILESTONE

for us here at Parley Court Farm.

BRINDLED WHITE-SPOT

marks the 400th Macro Species noted in our Recording Area.

Continuing the theme of varying patterns on the same species of Moth,

CLOUDED BORDER

with Central Band absent

'Broken' Centre Band

and 'Complete' Centre Band

SALLOW KITTEN

and please note we are still trying to do a Micro or two.

Callisto denticulella

and

EUROPEAN CORN-BORER

also in the traps

HORSEFLY

also known as

CLEG-FLY

but only since he was 'unfrocked'.

We started the rounds today behind the Eco Recycling Plant

from where the Good News is at least c5 pairs of

Sand Martin

continue to feed young.
On the subject of young, the

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER
(only one 'parent' bird in attendance yesterday)
continue to thrive in their new quarters on the gravel pathways between the
Solar Panels.

The larger and more developed of the two has now

moulted all of the first 'downy' feathers,

while the smaller of the two

remains the smaller of the two!

It was also noted that half of the former Rubbish Dump and now

WEED FIELD

has been prepared for the sowing of a Game Crop,

with attendant Security Officer.

PURPLE TOADFLAX

HONEYSUCKLE

and an

ANTIRRHINUM

(cultivar Snapdragon)

were also found. along with a few juvenile

STARLING

On to the Gravel Pit where all on display was a

juvenile

HERRING GULL

and close by a

STOCK DOVE

taking a drink.

At Merritown Gate the

APPLE TREE

is now completely devoid of blossom

but the crop of fruit looks as prolific as last year,

Along with the Belted Galloway Cows we will be awaiting our share.

On the Heath was found only our second young

DARTFORD WARBLER

and the first to fall to the lens despite being elusive.

It was then joined by an adult and then a

COMMON HEATH (Moth)

Plenty of those here

so they shouldn't starve.

What was far more difficult was an accurate count as these tiny,

skulking, fast moving and wide ranging birds are never still for long.

In all a reasonable estimate suggested between 8 and 10 juveniles.

A GREAT RESULT!

COMMON WHITETHROAT

are also back in good voice

likely trying to get a second brood off before returning south.

Thus far no young of this species have been seen, but feeding

and removal of fecal sacks have been noted daily over the last couple of weeks.

Talking of elusive, none more so than this shy

WILLOW WARBLER

and what was considered a nice series of shots of another

STONECHAT

along with a

DUNNOCK

and

BULLFINCH

Along the pathway are a number of these Ant excavations

looking more like something you might see along the

INCA TRAIL

Also there was a good showing of Wild Roses

DOG ROSE

ROSA MULTIFLORA

and

FIELD ROSE
Desert rose, dreamed I saw a desert rose
Dress torn in ribbons and bows
Like a siren she calls (to me).
Sleep comes like a drug in God's country
Sad eyes crooked crosses in God's country

Having satisfied the requirements to clear all Reptiles from the area, works

have now started in earnest at Bournemouth International Airport.

This is to be a Watershed to drain excess rain from the runway, while

a large Electronics Factory is programmed for close by.

En-route to the Solar Panel Compound
FLOWERING CHERRY
and

SCENTLESS MAYWEED
were found along the wayside,

while in the Compound numbers of juvenile

PIED WAGTAIL

seemed to have increased to about 16 individuals.

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Saturday, 27 June 2015

Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty

Today's proposed Post had already been compiled Yesterday which was intended for publication Today, but given the happening of Yesterday this Post was written up Yesterday and appears here Today! As ever, we started monitoring the Moth Traps at about 05:00 and by 07:30 we had added 4 new species to the PCF Year List including

the diminutive

SHORT-CLOAKED MOTH

a most eye-catching

SCARCE SILVER-LINES

SMALL FAN-FOOT

In addition there was this rather 'dark' specimen of

SHOULDER-STRIPED WAINSCOT

and, while we Don't Do Micros

the exception to that rule is waved

when something like this drops in our lap.

BEE MOTH

(you could never capture the full hues of such a creature with a camera)

and just for good measure

LOZOTAERIA FORSTERANA

As a quick aside, ¾ of a dozen of us went for a meal at the

WOOLPACK INN @ SOPLEY
on Wednesday evening to celebrate Janet's birthday.

Why the subject should have changed, over the
Lamb Shank and Eton Mess, to

FALSE WIDOW SPIDER

remains a mystery but, on returning home and having never

seen one before, Jen one of our Equestrian Ladies found a

single scaling her bathroom net curtain. Now, while she got the

ID of the Arachnid right we are still convinced the other is one of

Husband Dave's old String Vests????

Once the final, battery driven, trap was completed on

Merritown Heath
with yet another far more obliging

but no less beautiful

CLOUDED BUFF

attention was turned to other things all around me such as

PERFORATED SAINT JOHN'S WORT

LARGE SKIPPER

(Butterfly)

the Herb

CENTUARY

and even a 'likely'

LESSER MARSH GRASSHOPPER?

along with a 'third'

SMOOTH SNAKE

It would have been physically impossible to be any further away, within the Recording Area, from where Hugh sent the text and I received it! However, despite having to negotiate 2 barriers which needed opening and then closing behind myself, dodging the perpetual stream of lorries tooing and froing at Eco, Sleeping Policemen before hitting the main road, it was less than 15 minutes to reach 18-Acre by which time Hugh had left - Pheeeww!

It was back in 2005, a year before even meeting Hugh and Janet

let alone visiting Parley Court Farm, that this