Because They're Young - The Sequel

Wildlifing has been consigned to the back burner over the past few days, part of which was a visit to my family in Kingston upon Thames where additionally the was another birthday to celibrate as I commence my 70th year. With a little help we may be able to bring you the associated photographs but as things stand there is still a serious amount of "Communication Breakdown (it's always the same, Communication Breakdown it drives me insane") - Led Zeppelin.

A selection from the traps before we left.

 KENT BLACK ARCHES

ROUND-WINGED MUSLIN 

 DOT MOTH

DINGY FOOTMAN

 BORDERED WHITE

 and unusually a

DARK BUSH CRICKET

 What to some might be considered an equally unusual capture in a

 Moth Trap

this is the third year running we have secured 

BROWN HAWKER

in this fashion.

 First of our Feathered Friends 

 to draw our attention  was this watchful adult male

 KESTREL

Seemingly with something in his sight, it wasn't the expected

hapless rodent but at some distance it's

PRODIGY

A brief look at Parley Pond before beginning our day search in earnest

 turned up this young

 MOORHAN

thin on the ground this year but up on their close cousin the

Coot which have produced no young here thus far.

Before leaving Harbins we 'at last' caught up with some of the 

New Generation

GREEN WOODPECKER

which have enjoyed great

Breeding Success
this year.

In all there are estimated to be 4 or 5 pairs

 in the Southern Sector

 and likely more than that across

the North and Merritown Heath.

Being watched over by an attentive adult female.

Driving the perimeter fence of one of the

Solar Panel Compounds

 the whole section was alive with juvenile

 MISTLE THRUSH

 Don't know about you, but these birds in their

 'early plumage'

 really do something for me!

 Like many other species they have

 taken very well to the new found bounty that

this Natural Energy Source has brought with it!

Also abundant there

 somewhere in the region of

 20 - 30 juvenile

 PIED WAGTAIL

 having made best use of the redundant
Cable Drums
left over from the erection of the panels.

 There will be a request submitted to leave these in situ.
Just for good measure

 COMMA BUTTERFLY
and

CHICORY
Meanwhile at the Gravel Pit

 something of a 'creche' of young

 LAPWING

seem to be favouring the site with a maximum count of 28 there so far.

The day was growing long with the light fading fast

when we came across this gathering of juvenile

 SWALLOW

 Excellent value watching them react as the

 Parent Birds arrived with the groceries.

and to end on a therapeutic note

we have tried to capture the gentle rustle of
TREMBLING ASPENS

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Because They're Young - Duane Eddy

Communication Breakdown
of the serious kind has precluded
our attendance - Apologies all round.
As the Headline Says Link

some water under the bridge since we bought the

Guitar Man Album

A return to the weekend, and while the weather was less than desirable it didn't dampen the spirits of my visiting friends Paul and Tess, nor my own. Both days were utilised to the full, showing them the full extent of the Recording Area here, with most prominent on show being 'Young Birds'. With so much to see and so many images it might be that we have to split this into 2 separate Posts. Of course on both days early attendance at the Moth Traps was priority but even there we could not escape 'The Young' (not that we wanted to). 

 Heralding some of the less clement weather and with my

Meteorological Days

behind me

 I couldn't put a name to this 'strange formation'.

 At the Stable Trap it was likely this youngster had nicked all the

good stuff off of the palling wall.

 ROBIN

A decent catch on both days produced an interesting selection of

Insects, including

 LACKEY

 SMALL FAN-FOOTED WAVE

 the eye-catching

 BLUE-BORDERED CARPET

 GREY PINE CARPET

 RIVULET

a pristine 'first for the year'

 V-PUG

BORDERED PUG 

and

SCORCHED CARPET

At Parley Pond a young

 GREY HERON

has established a regular feeding spot.

 A 'host' of juvenile

 COLLARED DOVE

 we met as we drove through the 

Eco Recycling Plant and before entering the

Solar Panel Compound

this 'complete fluke' image of a parent

 CHIFFCHAFF

feeding a youngster was secured.

 Once the gate was bolted to keep the Sheep within 

 we quickly 

picked up on a number of recently fledged

SKYLARK

which even lingered long enough to become 'Movie Stars'.

While they have been showing an interest in the Compound for a

number of days now

 a family party or

 'UNKINDNESS'

of

 RAVEN

 now seem to have plucked up the courage to venture inside.

 Initially thought to be of c2 parent birds and c3 juveniles,

there are in fact c6 individuals in total.

They also were in for a 'shout' at the Oscar's.

All the small, passerine type birds have done well here

over this Breeding Season and none more so than 

 MEADOW PIPIT

but appear to be the least confiding of them all.

 STARLING

now congregate in many dozens but no sign of a 'murmuration' yet!

It was unanimously agreed that the
HIGHLIGHT
of the weekend was the visit

and very 'close quarters' views of the

SAND MARTIN
colony behind Eco.

 Initially, about a dozen birds

excavated and looked to be tending c7 'active' nest holes

before disaster struck as part of the 'reclaimed' soil bank

collapsed beneath them.

 Undeterred, these tiny Hirundines set about excavating

new nest holes which in itself was a miracle of nature to witness.

Seemingly taking it in turns, each would perch on the outer edge of

 the intended hole and frantically 'shovel' the loose earth behind them,
but only 3 guesses as to who didn't have the foresight to video this
'magical happening'.
Answers on a Post Card!

Although difficult to count, on the day of our visit the original dozen
or so have now increased to between 30 and 40 individuals, all
'on the wing'.

Of these there are still c3 (pairs) attending nests.
and the
Avian Oscar
goes to
SAND MARTIN
There are some Family Happenings on the horizon which shouldn't
preclude us from bringing you
Because They're Young - The Sequel
in a couple of days time.

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