Close to You - The Carpenters

Even having been strongly recommended, by a dear friend, to get a Trail Camera and having also seen the results it was a case of dithering for many years. It was only when Janet gave one to Hugh, as a Christmas present, that the bullet was finally bitten and 2 were purchased. It's not just the final results that take you over, but the anticipation of what might be found so for my money if you are sat there still in the grip of indecision, get close up and intimate by looking at what follows, then get one! Having said that it was, as usual, the Traps that came first this morning and again despite the poor haul there were 2 additions to the Year List

SNOUT

and

 after the opportunist

GREAT TIT

had buzzed off

 our 3rd Hawk for the year

EYED-HAWK MOTH

After the sun warmed things up, c3 Smooth Snakes, c2 Slow Worms and a
single Dartford Warbler were note before finding that at one of very few

 RHODODENDRON
 bushes in our area

 BROAD-BORDERED BEE HAWK-MOTH

 were on the wing

 and if you know how fast and nimble these

 Beautiful Creatures

are then you'll know we were lucky to get any images at all.
And as if to cap what was considered a Magical Day we captured our very first ever image of a

NIGHTJAR
OK, not David Attenborough but not bad for starters.
So to the Trail Cams with no apologies for the number of stills and videos,

which feature Common Buzzard, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Green Woodpecker,

Mistle Thrush and Stonechat and maybe others??

That will save underwriting each one.

HAVE YOU BOUGHT ONE YET?

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Obscured By Clouds - Pink Floyd

SOMETHING OF AN IMPROMPTU POST! 

Just got back from my Daily Rounds on a very foggy morning and where all that was recorded was Obscured By Clouds (of mist). It would be a little churlish to complain about the lack of Moths in the Traps when adding another 4 species to the Year List but, 16 Insects of just 9 Species ain't exactly representative of a average mid-May day!

 POPLAR HAWK-MOTH

which in a previous (larval) stage would have looked like this.

(image from the archive)

 LIME-SPECK PUG

 TREBLE LINES

 CLOUDED BORDER

 Now, there's some Good News and there's some Bad News

which starts with the news that the

MUTE SWAN

 CYGNETS

have hatched on Parley Pond.

Discarded Egg Shell.

Proud Parent Birds

and beautiful offspring.

A lone ROOK which just happened to be close by. 

On the other hand, the pair of

COOT

on the Irrigation Pond have now abandoned a 'second' nest, which

once held 7 eggs which now seem to have been predated. 

 NIL DESPERANDUM

as they are already embarked on the building of a third nest on the

site of last years first, which also came to naught!

There was not time this morning for even a cursory look as

to what this Plant might be, but get the feeling our friend

John Gifford

may well come up with the answer before close of play today.
WOOD SPURGE
Well done and Thanks John! 

It's over to Harbins Farm House for dinner later, so to you all

BON APETIT

and please consider sending our Link to your Families and Friends - Thanks!

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In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly

As the Maternity Watch continues in Galloway-Ville, and overnight temperature still deprive us of any decent catches from the Moth Traps, we'll take the opportunity to catch up on a couple of shots from the Trail Cameras and a few 'day-time' flying Insects, particularly Butterflies.

 CARRION CROW

looks poised to pounce on something while a

 MAGPIE

looks a little less eager.

 We are beside ourselves that a Nightjar has not yet alighted on this

perfect Perching Post, so in the meantime a

ROE DEER

uses it for a spot of hide-and-seek.

However, there have also been other shortfalls as after the previous reports of

COMMON BUZZARD

using the camera, mounted on a tripod, as a perching post we now 

have to contend with another invader in the shape of this rather bold

STONECHAT

was informed 'no deposit required', look a little closer!

 FLAME SHOULDER

SPRUCE CARPET

and

RUBY TIGER

have been the sum totals of those added to the Year List.

Some of the Day Time Flyers included.

 A first of the year

 HOLLY BLUE BUTTERFLY

while

ORANGE TIP BUTTERFLY

have been around for a number weeks now.

 GREEN-VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY

 another First for the Year.

 SEDGEFLY

VIOLET GROUND BEETLE

 COLLARED DOVE

sitting on eggs in Janet's stable.

Otherwise

 COMMON GARDEN SNAIL

DOG VIOLET

 GREY SQUIRREL

It seemed a little strange to still find the odd

HOLLY BERRY

ONCE AGAIN OUR FRIEND JOHN GIFFORD 
HAS ASSISTED WITH A NUMBER OF IDENTIFICATIONS

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