I Can't Stand the Rain - Ann Peebles

With both rain and wind still prevailing there was just a glimmer of hope as the dawn temperature 'rocketed' from +6°C of the previous day to +8C° but there was little to show for it. It was the day before these 'balmy' heights were reached that

 FOUR-DOTTED FOOTMAN

graced the traps but all else was

of a slightly less usual nature

a 'dark morph'

CORONET

 ORDINAIRE

 for comparison

With these c10

EGYPTIAN GEESE

having now been seen on a daily basis by someone or other, it was
only yesterday that they were captured by the camera during the
early morning rounds of the Moth Traps.

 Something of a mild shock on the Parley Pond Island as at first it

was thought that there had been a 'young'

 ALPACA
added to the troupe, but no just looking 'half the size' after shearing!

 All on the Heath amounted to this lone

 MEADOW BROWN BUTTERFLY
and a singing

MEADOW PIPIT

 It is now thought that 2 pairs of

 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

 have successfully bred behind the
Eco Recycling Facility

 as yesterday we recorded c3 adult birds in attendance with c5 juveniles.

Adult LRP keeping watch
 Unknown if LRP, or any other Wader, ever lay 5 eggs but thought unusual,
as 4 is the norm across the family, this number of youngsters alone points to 2 separate broods?
 While this industrial

HOUSE SPARROW
continued nest building

its mates were taking advantage of the bread scattered on the lawn.

Last night's returns from the
Trail Cameras
produced just two Species

MAGPIE

and

 Despite the deterrent, a strategically placed branch, something

persists in perching on the camera!

 WOOD PIGEON

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Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Surely one of the great things in life is the magic of a New Experience, particularly of the GOOD kind, but even the Bad can have the benefits of teaching us a lesson. Yesterday, while tending the Moth Traps, suddenly something completely alien to me manifested itself in a most unexpected way and wasn't even noticed until some time later. Let's see if you can spot it!

Plucking what appeared to be a 'pristine'

 DARK ARCHES

 from amid the egg trays it was decided to photograph it on my palm.

The solution to the conundrum, if you hadn't already spotted it is

there for all to see on the center image. Look to the left of the Moth,

and there quite clearly is a smudge of DIRT, no doubt about it.

After all these years we now know just how it feels but won't be tempted ever to do it again!

The same can be said about BOREDOM, oh for just one hour

to know 'first hand' what that is like!

EVER ONWARD

with additions to the Year List which included

 as the name adequately suggests

BORDERED BEAUTY

 the diminutive

SMALL FAN-FOOTED WAVE
(this being the 200th Macro Moth Species of the Year)

and what looks likely to have been overlooked time and again this year

 RUSTIC

 if indeed it is one?

There was also a 'pristine'

LIME-SPECK PUG

but in the hands of the photographer????

it now seems a little tarnished.

En-route to the Irrigation Pond it was noted that the

 DOG ROSE

 is now in full bloom, while on the pond

 the first c2 of the

COOT CHICKS

have hatch with still a further c5 to go.

With the Little Grebes now seemingly gone from the Gravel Pit

the only entertainment lies with the occasional visit of a 

GREEN SANDPIPER,

absent today, and the 2 pairs of long-staying

TUFTED DUCK

with one of the males putting on a bit of a

Preening Display

and ending with a

SPLASH!

Due the amount of unseasonable rain of late the

 Tributary, which runs into the Moors River, and the associate

Airport Balancing Pond

still hold a decent amount of water considering the time of year.

 Yesterday, this attracted a 'pair'? of

 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

which is not for the first time this year, but GREAT to see and hear.

Back on the Southern part of Parley Court Farm in the north-east corner

know as Hale, Solar Panel Construction is now complete putting an end to the

Final Phase IV of the Project.

During these works we have very much kept our distance, but returning yesterday

it was seen that the unavoidable disturbance has little effected the Wildlife with both

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE

 (a scarce species here)

LAPWING

and

STOCK DOVE

are taking advantage of the open areas that remain, strewn with weeds and seeds.

The 

IN-FLIGHT BLACK-BOX RECORDER FACTORY

construction continues apace with the north side already cladded.

The final manifestation of the day came while sat in the comfort of

Slight Return II

composing this Post a

GREEN WOODPECKER

decided to have supper right outside - and most welcome it was!

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Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty

Not a drop of rain overnight on Thursday and with the wind being no more than a zephyr, surely we were in for a decent return from the Moth Traps, but NO! By dawn the temperature here had plummeted to a chill +6° C bringing with it another dramatic drop in Insect numbers and just a single addition to the Year List by way of

 SHORT-CLOAKED MOTH

 certainly one of the small of the Macros.

The best of the 'also rans' tells a story in itself with the most attractive

 BLOTCHED EMERALD

leading the way and followed by

 BLOOD-VEIN

 and

KNOT GRASS

 GARDEN PEBBLE

 was representative of the Micros

 while a beautiful and tiny

 16-SPOT LADYBIRD

brought up the rearguard.  

 On Merritown the Erica's or Heather are now starting to bloom

poker-dotting the area with purple Patches of 2 distinct Species.

 CROSS-LEAVED HEATH

 and

DORSET HEATH

ANT'S NEST with abundance of EGGS.

Before leaving we were able to grab this short video clip of a

disappearing

SLOW WORM
Walking back to the Strange Rover we did nothing more than 'hear' a

 DARTFORD WARBLER

but reason enough to draw a couple of images from the archive.
To say that the situation regarding the status of these tiny and most vulnerable
Warblers is of 'great concern' would be an understatement to say the least.
This time last year we had estimated 27 juvenile birds across the Heath,
in various stages of development,
while yesterday's record was the 'first' and 'only' record during June this year!!

With the exception of the Trail Camera Updates all of the rest

of the days action turned up more or less on our front door step!
These 3 predated 

 MALLARD
eggs were only a few yards away and found within a 6 foot circle,

 and soon after finding

 we were paid a very brief visit by an overflying

COMMON BUZZARD

 c2 Species of Fungi have now sprung up all across the lawn

 MYCENA
and

PANAEOLUS

 While this male

 KESTREL

 having wreaked havoc among the smaller birds, especially nestlings,

finally perched long enough for a photo-call.

JACKDAW
videoed through the window taking the bread scattered for the smaller birds.
As afore mentioned, the Trail Cameras showing a New Addition.

Male STONECHAT with juvenile.

TAWNY OWL

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