Here Comes the Flood - Peter Gabriel

I was sold on Genesis the moment I heard the first chord of
'Revelation" back in 1969
and having met the man wondered how Gabriel was going to get on in the fickle world
of solo artists. A single play of this most poignant track dispeled all fears!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb7htoJAK7g

 Lyrically, it don't get much better than that!

As Dennis left his mark right across the country, many far worse effected

than us rather lucky ones down here, we were only left with a few images of his

rampage and not much besides.

 Looking south across the Horse Paddocks to the

 RIVER STOUR

the bank is at the far end of the fenceline

 In the opposite direction and the same few yards from our front doorstep

The Main Pond

now well overfull

The hedge trimmers on behalf of the RES Solar Panel Company arrived first thing,

having had prior warning from head office to ask me if the time was right - good on them!

 The cutting also looked very much in sympethy with the lines of plants,

as though they had been clipped rather than slashed.

After construction of the Solar Farm, then the largest in Europe, both parent companies 

combined to plant 30,000 saplings sewn by the very talented and capable Chris Sugden. During the first year of growth I didn't find a single one to have failed - Magic!

Strange then in the following February the other company Brighter Green (footnote - neither Bright nor Green) summoned Chris to a site meeting to explain why so many of the plant had died. The company Wildlife representative pointed out that he could not see one singe leaf with Chris retorting, "they are all deciduous (Blackthorn, Field Maple, Guelder Rose et al) and it is mid-winter. Where do they get them from????

Other than that very few Birds and very poor Snaps and Vids!

With just a single Coot representing both ponds it was into the afore mentioned Panel Compoud where a couple of 

STOCK DOVES

were feeding, about 100 

REDWING

proving very flighty and uncooperative along with the first returning

 MISTLE THRUSH

and 

STARLING

flock

It was the Moors River that was to field the most interest

with the most birds which included at least 100

TEAL

a single

GREEN SANDPIPER

and what looked to be just c3

 COMMON SNIPE

 gathered at the base of a fence post

but on closer examination of the images were in fact c6.

With a fine finale, say it myself I shouldn't, as going back to the early morning of

6th of June 2015

in company with Dave Foot we stopped to take the mandatory look across the

Irrigation Pond on our way to the Heath.

With Dave quickly out of the car he turned to tell he had spotted what was possibly a 

Kite of sorts as reaching for his telescope. The superlatives are not printable but on his first look

he quickly changed his mind announcing

"no it's not, it's that

 SHORT-TOED EAGLE

That had been knocking about the County for some while.

It must be pointed out that the images are 'borrowed' just to emphasis the point,

but for it to grace our patch was quite miraculous.

It was immediately put 'on the line' and we did make a distant excussion to

relocate it but without success so back to the Moth Traps.

Not my words but:-

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus

Due to a dependence on snakes as a primary food source the Short-toed Eagle is restricted to the southern and eastern regions of Europe with the largest populations to be found in Spain and France. They also occur in other countries along the Mediterranean such as Italy, Greece and Turkey. In Eastern Europe they can be found further north as far as Belarus and occasionally, but very rarely, in the Baltic States while outside of Europe they are found eastwards to Kazakhstan and south to Iran.

All of these are migratory summer visitors although there is a sedentary population on the Indian Subcontinent. There are no subspecies and the closest relatives are the Beaudouin's Snake Eagle Circaetus beaudouini and the Black-breasted Snake Eagle Circaetus pectoralis, both are African species that were once considered to be subspecies of the Short-toed Eagle, but are now considered to be completely different species.

The Young Ones - Cliff Richard

Can there any greater gift handed to a man in his twilight years than to pass on a small amount of what little he knows to a much younger audience. Following on from yesterday’s outing with apprentice No 1 Chloe, today it was the turn of apprentices 2 and 3, but with an otherwise engaged 4 now awaiting the next opportunity.

 l to r Oliver (11) who currently plays football for Broadstone Juniors who are currently 2nd in the Dorset league, Sophie (just 4) and already accomplished in 4 dance styles and Josh (9) who excels as a player for the Bournemouth FC (cum on you Cherries) Academy.

What was omitted from yesterday’s missive was the talent of young Chloe who is an upholsteress 

(if there is such a word) of the highest order, and while we shy away from advertising, like the plague, it would be a joy to myself to promote her business!.

 Not only has she re-covered my seating arrangement

 but also laid the new blue carpet tiles before presenting my with this most novel gift

A 'real life' Moth Cussion (from top)

Black Arches

Scarce Merveille du Jour

*

Merveille du Jour

*

Peach Blossom

* represents unidentified, if you can help with this please leave a message - Thanks!

Feeling a little inferior in the company of such talents and people far wiser that there years

suggest, we set off for the search, firstly across the 

Recording Area

with the weather not quite in our favour but soon altering to a bright and sunny morning.

 Both Coots once again obliged at the Irrigation Pond with just a single Little Grebe putting in a brief appearance, but most refreshing was to hear the children naming names as we progressed.

Further excitement was generated by the

 TUFTED DUCKs

at the Gravel Pit but certainly outshone by a flushed

 COMMON SNIPE

 a new species for both of our appretices!

It was always going to be a little dull at these sites, so to cut our losses we headed for

Longham Lakes

where there is always something to see.

All the images from here on were taken by Sophie and Josh

 THere was but a single Egret represented by

 LITTLE

 a sleeping

POCHARD

 MUTE SWANs

 more active

 POCHARD

 GREAT CRESTED GREBE

 just the faint arc of a
RAINBOW

 before some child-like pranks

Have decided not to show the video of myself in the wallow,

shades of "A bold Hippopotamus" - Flanders and Swann.

Should anyone out there (within the county) require upholstering, including

your 'syrup' Willie please leave a message at the bottom of the page.

DENNIS DIDN'T GET TO SPOIL THIS DAY EITHER!

Passing Strangers - Billy Eckstine and Sarah Vaughn

With Dennis (the Menace) continuing to be relentless, yesterday 
was another when it was decided to be as dogged as he!
Not to be put off by continuous heavy rain, somewhat subdued 
winds and a number of local roads flooded and impassable along with my
vivacious and enthusiastic adult apprentice

CHLOE

we set about a mini rounds of the local area, without success, before heading off again for

EYEWORTH POND

It was felt sure, given the prevailing conditions, that the Goosander

would have stayed put but in the event that also was not to be!

However, a hearty late morning breakfast redressed the ballance after which we went our seperate ways leaving me to knock up yet another

'All Our Yesterdays Post'

More additions to the Recording Area List

included not one but 2

WATER RAIL

during the month of October 2017 the first, having been 'heard only',
along our beat of the River Stour did not qualify for list inclussion, but

just one week later

12/11/2017 
 a second was seen and heard in the proximity of the
Irrigation Pond Feeding Station

On our usual Sunday wander to the far south west corner of the
Recording Area 
in a search for Geese on 
10/12/2017
 what met the eye was far from
 Goose-like with this rather dull looking

HAWFINCH
 standing out like a sour thumb against a clear blue sky.
It remains still the only record from our patch.

What could not even have been envisage in our wildest of dreams

appeared on the Heath on

12/12/2017

As looking through the residue of local Stonechats and Dartford Warblers
this very 'hoary' bird appeared perched directly in front of the
Strange Rover

 2 Strangers then on that early winter's day.

 As experienced on a couple of other occassions the immortal words from 
the flysheet of one of my old bird books flashed before me
 "and then like all rare things, it was gone"!

 Luckily, it did stay but then there was the task of noting all the fieldmarks 
of such a rare bird which was done to my satisfaction.

With a little help in confirming such a beauty

it was, later in the day, considered to be

a pukka

SIBERIAN STONECHAT
We are hopeful that the weather today (Monday) will clear up
as more (younger) appretices should be on their way.