Too Darn Hot - Ella Fitzgerald

and in no more than a blink of the eye it will soon be

Too Darn Cold

enjoy it while we may!

Some moderate action in the field has spurred us to shelve the second instalment of

The Falkland Islands

but they won't be forgotten!

 The overnight weather stays at just about perfect backed by beautiful evening skies

with Mars visible and brightest to the south and a little harder to see Venus to the east.

We have not been without a few additions to the

Moth Year List either as

 the established but none to numerous

 WEBB'S WAINSCOT

joined the list as did the tiny, beautiful and variable migrant

 VESTAL

It is said that due to the food plants in varying areas differing those that show

this pinkish hue or darker are migrants from the near continent 

 while paler specimens could originate from as far away as 

The Sahara.

 More local the

 POPLAR GREY

and for now at least a final

migrant

DARK SWORD-GRASS

Not a lot of action around the garden save to say the return of the

 presumed local pair of

KESTRELs

which once again successfully bred in the

 Horse Stable

 and now playing havoc with small garden birds. It was thought worth a look to see if 

there is anoy sings of a second brood but

by the look of the Spider Webs across the Bird Box

the answer appears to be no!

 Swallow, Greenfinch and Pied Wagtail

on the power cables but only the

 WAGTAIL 

and

SWALLOW

staying for a close-up.

Having waxed lyrically about the scarcity of 

Feral Pigeons

hereon a previous post, we thought we had stumbled across another

but looking a little closer it was found to be an even 'rarer'

 RACING PIGEON

only the second since my records began (2013).

 MISTLE THRUSH and STARLING

 still appear as strange bedfellows at the

Solar Panel Compound

 while sharing an equally successful breeding season and where

 Mr Adrian Tugwell (alighting)

and crew turned up to commence

 Nettle and Grass Cutting Operations.

 More cackling than clicking we hope to bring more images and vids later?

On the Heath just in time to catch the latest

 AIRBUS

fresh back from China as we also picked up on another hunting

KESTREL

with prey, maybe a mammal but with that length trailing more likely a Reptile.

It will be noted that our 'stalking' efforts came to almost naught.

Otherwise it was just the usual suspects with both

 GOLDFINCH

and

STONECHAT

going well over the top in the procreation stakes, we will have to see what transpires later today!

If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher

In July away I fly, in August away I must!

As says the Cuckoo but it is also in this month that we see a noticeable

fall in most of our bird species and other Wildlife alike.

It is along the coastal fringes, with their promontories, such as

Portland Bill or Hengistbury Head (both Dorset) that we now start to see

small gatherings of early returning migrants and of course the odd

RARITY!

Unfortunately, and while only 5 miles from the coast, there are no (or few)

such luxuries here which is all leading to breaking to you gently the

fact that we might not have enough ammunition for the usual and local

Wildlife Posts!

However, what we do have are volumes of stories and at least double

that amount of images / vids in the archive so hopefully our

Valued Readership

will not go without - if you pass the link on to your friends and families that is! THANKS!

For the first of these we wander back to the early Spring of 1982 when much sabre-rattling quickly
esculated into a conflict which was known as the Falkland War, but never designated to that status! It also involved the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia, which we may well cover in another post, but for now we might reflect on how many people on both sides have to die before such a qualification as WAR is decided??

At that time my post was as the Second Mate on the 

Ocean Salvage Tug Typhoon

stationed at Portland Naval Base, Dorset and with not a clue as to what was to come,

2 weeks leave was applied for, granted as we wandered down to Cornwall for a break. 

On my return it was directly to the jetty where the Ol' Girl usually laid, only to find her GONE,

as the 'very first' vessel to be deployed from Great Britain to the Southern Oceans!

Beyond disaster for me, it was one, if not the, greatest miss of my maritime careers in either the

Royal or Merchant Navies!

It was as late as 2007 before the ballance was redressed when alnog with my then ladyfriend

Susan Hallam

we embarked on a mutually agreed

ADVENTURE of a LIFETIME!

Again it had been Sue who found the carrier in the first place and made all the arrangement

which started with a flight to LA and a ***** hotel including caviar on the breakfast buffet, then onto Buenous Aires (ditto) with 2 days Bird Watching and finally to embark the ship

 MV DISCOVERY

at the most southerly Argentinian town of

SUE

Patagonia

 Joy of Joy's the 'birding' could not have started better when more or less

 our

First Bird

was the magnificent

DOLPHIN GULL

which in those days was a 'magical' addition as still trying to record every 

Gull species in the World!

Additionally, it would be impossible to attach all the bird images but here are a few,

along with scenes, including:-

CHIMANGO CARACARA

 Never did discover whether this was an Airport or Museum?

ANTARCTIC TERN

KELP GULL 

which have sub-species right across the Continents that border the

Southern Oceans

and which one day (stranger things have happened) through DNA sampling could achive 

'Single Species Status'?

Bring it on, we are well prepared as having seen them all!

Ah Yes - One of My Old Commands
thought they might have towed her off the 'putty' by now!

 UPLAND GOOSE
(male)

 with female and Goslings
and finally before setting sail a

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER
a widespread American Wader which does pay the very occassional visit
to our own shores.
CHUGGING OUT INTO THE

BEAGLE CHANNEL

 reputed to be the most furious

Seaway in the World!
We didn't see so much as a ripple outward bound or inward,
unless of course you include our Hendrick's and Fever Tree!

To be continued........

Bus Stop - The Hollies

With the pun intended it was a 'charming' start to the day
as early doors a decent size

 'charm' of

 GOLDFINCH
graced the lawn and moments later a small 'pod' of

 MEDITERRANEAN GULLs

 flew purposefully to the north.

An example of a fine looking adult just for recognition purposes.
 A welcome take from all traps did leave us in something of a quandry after adding

 a 'second generation'
FLOUNCED RUSTIC
(somehow the first wave managed to avoid us)

 BARRED RED
which brings with it the complication of there being a

 Green Form
that is said to be uncommon?

 and
DOTTED CLAY
to the Year List - Most Welcome!
It was a toss up, hence the £2 coin, (which was borrowed as never having owned such a thing)
as to whether the 'first for year'

 DARK CRIMSON UNDERWING

 a little ragged around the edges

 or the

magnificent and large

Thought to be a

CHURCHYARD BEETLE
(species but a 'big lad for all that)

 BEST in SHOW
but either way we are on the cusp of giving up on the Moths
in favour of Shieldbugs as at least they are visiting the traps in numbers.
A little caddish given the previous!
Two species in one day inculded the colouful

 HAWTHORN SHIELDBUG

 which although prolific was outnumbered by

 FOREST
or

 RED-LEGGED SHIELD BUG
10 to 1.

 Either way we were tucked up against the persistant drizzel

Bus stop, wet day she's there, I say,
please share my umbrella.
Bus stops, bus goes she stays, love grows
under my umbrella.

All that summer we enjoyed it
wind and rain and shine.
That umbrella we employed it
by August she was mine!

 Best gift and act of kindness I've had for years!

Yet anouther juvenile 
STONECHAT

but then joined by a

WILLOW WARBLER

nice combination!
With Children and Cattle alike there should not be a favourite,
but with the occassional 'exception to the rule' our brown and white

 SHETLAND
just stood there at the gate waiting for me, walks away with it!

BEEHIVE
which will be the last of it for the near future at least!