A Night at the Opera - Queen

A Night at the Opera
would have been far preferable to the night in reality,
as there would have been far more birds in the Royal Albert Hall,
which simply didn't come up trumps here!
(Oh yes, Donald just wait until he's ruling the World????)

Details of which will be found in the Epilogue manana.

It would have been a strange occasion indeed if we had arrived behind the
Eco Recycling Works
and not seen all 3 of our most common Large Gulls.

and each, including the largest of the trio,

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL

are carting huge clods of mud and vegetation back to the traditional
nest sites atop the buildings at
Bournemouth International Airport.
Unfortunately, since the construction of the new factory there these
nests are now obscured from our view.

HERRING GULL
performing similarly and not to be left out

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL

It took a while but finally we found a

 COMMON BUZZARD

before paying a distant visit to what has become the
 New Sand Martin Wall

 SAND MARTIN

 FERAL PIGEON
 is a real 'scarcity' here but we do have just a single resident at Eco.
The first of 4 visits to
MERRITOWN HEATH
during the day and evening started with this

GREENFINCH
(already recorded and reported but just looked right to welcome our arrival?)
and then between here and the Large Solar Panel Compound
shared the rest of the additional species from the day.

MEADOW PIPIT

have been unusually absent, or maybe overlooked,

for the past 10 days so the return, or sighting, of c2

was considered a stroke of

 Good Fortune

hence the prolonged photo/video gallery!

Long, long overdue was

 LINNET
(male)

 LINNET
(female)

SKYLARK

 again luckily to be found in full song.

MERLIN
Undoubtedly the
'Bird of the Day'
but lucky to see and sex it as a male, let along photograph it!
(Drawing from Wiki)

MISTLE THRUSH

feeding young

on an abundance of small green caterpillars.

WHEATEAR

in company with a pristine

WHINCHAT

There has been some chat on

Social Media

as to how fine this species are looking this year.

These images don't tell half of the story

of the most

BEAUTIFUL

bird seen on the day.

Yes, a lot of photos but didn't want to do anything by halves.

In a second and again vane attempt to locate a
Little Ringed Plover
a small pulse of about 200

COMMON SWIFT
flew over the compound heading north

and before we headed for pastures greener to find a

GREY WAGTAIL
back at the Gravel Pit.

Only a single JAY was seen all day.
A sumptuous Roast Dinner at Harbins was followed by our fourth and final visit to
Merritown Heath
which commence at 19:45 and came to an end at 22:00 in the hope of adding
a few 'nocturnals' to the list.
Only yesterday evening we had managed to see or hear 3 along with
a most unexpected addition in the shape of our first for the Heath
Red-legged Partridge.
Not so that evening as already the sky was clouding over bringing
an all to premature gloom to the picture, and soon after matters were made worse
by a heavy drizzle. In all that and just before dark we were blessed with a bonus

SPARROWHAWK
 but the number of

WOODCOCK
were reduced from last night's c7 sightings to just c2.
That brought an end to a most rewarding and long day which,
 even if we could get the camera settings
correct there would be little chance of capturing and image!
(drawing once again from Wiki)
Bearing in mind that our Recording Area is just a Postage Stamp of no more than 2000 acres,
our final day total reached a remarkable and record breaking
69 Species.
This was an increase of 13 on the previous record, so while we could moan all night
about the ones that didn't materialise we went back to
Slight Return II a very Happy Bunny!
 THANKS FOR TUNING IN AND SHARING THE DAY!

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WOW - Kate Bush

Part Three

of the May Day Parade certainly started with the
WOW FACTOR
when arriving at the Gravel Pit to find this

Summer Plumage

LITTLE GREBE

still in residence.

We always live in hope that they might breed one year, and this is the

nearest we have come to that.

Such a secretive little bird they can disappear in the
Blink of an Eye
and who knows the other may just be quietly sat on eggs not too far away????
Here's hoping!
and although Mallard had been recorded long before this, the

New Family
(which yesterday numbered c13 ducklings now appear to have decreased to just c8)

While talking of potential breeding birds

this is the first we have seen of the female

EGYPTIAN GOOSE
in a fortnight. The male has stood sentinel close by for all of this time
and now he has vanished. The theory continues to be a
Nest Hole in a tree somewhere close at hand?
 As yet no nests of

LAPWING

have been located but there has been plenty of activity in the
Displaying Department.

We are keeping a good look-out for any further progression.

 GREY SQUIRREL

As mentioned and recorded before

SHELDUCK
seemingly unconcerned with our presence.

PIED WAGTAIL
presented no problems at all now nesting in the Solar Panel Compound,
but there had been some pre-race doubt about recording

 STARLING
which in the event proved to be easy. However, and back to the
'pinning down' theory, we did have a couple 'staked out' nesting,

in the now vacant recess where once the
Starboard Navigation Light
would have been fixed on this now redundant aircraft.
(at least we hope it's redundant)

Similarly, a Rolls Royce Style nest site had been chosen by this pair of

STOCK DOVE
As a short diversion a

FOX

crossed our track before continuing the business in hand.

WILLOW WARBLER

had been 'heard' long before now but then showed in the flesh while

recently arrived 

HOUSE MARTIN

(with a lone Swallow)

both at the Manor and Eco set about the prime task of nest building.

COOT
meanwhile at the Irrigation Pond

are now well into incubation but the

CANADA GEESE

are still going through a period of uncertainty at the same location.
Much further North, there was a 'certainty' of a few additions at the
Sewerage Works Fence
which started with

 COAL TIT

 predictably hugging the fence which always seems to be a favoured perch.

 FIELD FORGET-ME-NOT

 LONG-TAILED TIT

 which regular viewers may remember have incorporated their nest in the
Chain Link!
We can now report that they are feeding young and best efforts will be made
to photograph the offspring.

 BULLFINCH
(male)

 BULLFINCH
(female)

 RABBIT
which are now reaching plague proportions hereabouts.
 It was only the familiar 'calling' of a passing

 MEDITERRANEAN GULL
which drew our attention, otherwise it would have passed unnoticed.
An unusual spot to be seen as only the 'second' recorded here ever.

 Also 'on the wing' one of the local
KESTREL

 while male
GOLDCREST
appear to be going berserk during this period of courting and breeding.

 STONECHAT
 (male)

STONECHAT
(female)

brings our Third Chapter to a close. We will bring to you the Final Part of the May Day birds seen tomorrow, while considering an epilogue of those that were missed or simply didn't show, if only to emphasise the value (or not) of Reconnaissance, Stake Outs and Pinning Down!

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