Something in the Air - Thunderclap Newman - Part I

 Again we find ourselves in something of arrears as far as Posts are concerned, but better overborne with Wildlife than stay here twiddling the fingers. The following 2 offerings relates back as far as Saturday when the absolute priority was pulling the Moth Generator out of Dry Dock, completing Basin Trials before towing her back to her berth in East Dorset!

With a crisp Frost and still a little early morning Mist there was time to undertake a mini-rounds of the Recording Area before popping off to rendezvous with Chief Engineer and fellow Wildlifer Dave

but not before watching the last of the
Snow Moon
sink below the western horizon.

With some garden plants already in bloom our desires are now focusing on such exoticts as

HUMMINGBIRD HAWK-MOTH
(already recorded on nearby Portland and elsewhere)
All else down south amounted to a few lingering Redwing and Fieldfare and this

HERRING GULL
looking 'puffed out' after so much perching with more northern climbes proving a little more productive. A decent start on the Gravel Pit was the presumed 'return' of just a single female

TUFTED DUCK

seemingly more interested in

Roll Preening
and generally sprucing up rather than anything else!
However, what was to follow was simply a 'joy to behold' with c2 adult

LITTLE GREBEs

being of no surprise but look a little closer to find them

NEST BUILDING

in February

unheard of and seen in this clip to be 'stamping down' the building material which is usual.
The nests are also built to float to contend with changing water-levels.
The fact that there were also a gaggle of c7

CANADA GEESE
there as well paled by comparison to what we had just witnessed, but there was also that important meeting to consider.

While being late is not an option Dave usually manages to get there before me
and had already sussed out a decent start to proceeding with the generator seemingly fading from the memory as the local

Farmer was also about his own business.

Conditions were perfect but even though my visits to this location started back as early as
1974 proceedings started with something never seen there before

BROWN RAT

by no means singular

as the footprints showed but maybe 'dozens' with more to come as we progress.
Traditionally 'fed' by both the local residents and visitors alike it is not surprisingly a catchment for a host of birds but on the down-side it is a bit like photographing down a dingy tunnel, but we won't let that deter us!

YELLOWHAMMER, CHAFFINCH and BULLFINCH

HAMMERs and  CHAFFs

BOEING 777

of Dutch Airline KLM
(we thank John Gifford for the ID)
Call out the instigators,
because there's something in the air.
We've got to get together sooner or later,
because the revolution's here! And you know that it's right

Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis

Now we are firmly settled into Spring maybe this is an appropriate moment to take an analytical look back across the Winter, but more particularly the Last Two Months! 78 species of Bird thus far is considered to be a 'record breaker' (with the 2020 grand total for last year only 122) by comparison, but on the downside some unexpected absentees such as Crossbill and Lesser Redpoll, scarce but usual staples, foregone are Red-legged Partridge, Little and Barn Owls more hit or miss Woodcock, Wigeon, Feral Pigeon and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and to think we have only 'heard' Grey Heron and Green Sandpiper on single occassions thus far along, but with c5 species of Moth! They will surely come so meanwhile let's enjoy the second day of Spring. To the south the ⅔ size male

MUTE SWAN

 was striking a pose while continuing its lone existance at the drainage ditch, or as above on the shoreline, while all else at that end amounted to the arrival of another

couple of

Young Ponies
On the way north, it was noticed that mowing operations were now close to completion across the

Relict Section (west) of the Heath

which completes the recent introduction to our new readers.
(east)
With yet another 'blank' at the Irrigation Pond things turned for the better at the

Gravel Pit

where 2 pairs of

TEAL

had dropped in and showing signs of

display, while the previous c2 Egyptian Geese had been replaced by these

CANADAs
Best of all there was saved until last as on departure these 2

COMMON SNIPE

were spotted feeding in the margins.
With nothing to keep us at the Sewerage Works Fence it was off to the Heath where, en-route

it was seen just how busy

Mr and Mrs Mole
had been overnight with maybe 'hundreds' of spoil heaps!
Some immediate joy just inside the gateway as met by a

long lost

STONECHAT

a similarly

singular

MEADOW PIPIT

along with an all too mobile but vocal

COAL TIT

not allowing for a video clip.
We are not banging any drums just yet, but this could just be the 'start'?
Back at Base Camp the male

KESTREL

seemed unperturbed by our arrival

as stood directly beneath the sapling

thinking this is likely ½ of the

breeding pair that nests annually in the Owl Box at the stable

with the Female arriving just in time

to catch this Post!

Well behind as things stand we hope to bring a little excitement with a Double Catchup over the next couple of days. Thanks for tuning in!

South and Central America's

 While the odd Migrant Bird and a handful of Moths have been recorded across the county in recent days we remain in something of a doldrum here, but will close the door on a Wet, Windy but not too Cold Winter and welcome the Spring with a splash of colour from a little further afield!

ORIOLE BLACKBIRD
(Belize)

BLUE-EYED CORMORANT
(Tierra del Fuego - Argentina)

GUIRA CUCKOO
(in the heart of Buenos Aires City Centre)

PACIFIC DOVE
(ubiquitous)

RESPLENDENT QUETZAL
(Guatamala)

Not only the National Bird, but also the Monetary Unit
(10 Quetzal's = 5 Shillings and Sixpence)

From the Beauty to the Beast

MATAMATA TURTLE
(El Salvador)

BRIGHT-RUMPED YELLOWFINCH
(Argentina)

THREE-WATTTLED BELLBIRD
(Nicaragua)

BROWN-BANDED ANTPITTA
and

CHESTNUT-CROWNED ANTPITTA
both with Angel and Vincento Paz in Equador

FALKLAND STEAMER DUCK (female)

FALKLAND STEAMER DUCK (male)
as the name suggests

BLACK-CHINNED SISKIN
(Argentine Pampas)

DUSKY STARFRONTLET
(Santa Marta Mountains, Colombia)

BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY
and

PERUVIAN BOOBY
(both Peru)

ANDEAN FLICKER
(Chile)

GOLD-RINGED TANAGER
(Peru)

PINNATED BITTERN
(Argentina)
It is hoped that your, as yet unintroduced, friends and families will be equally interested in this Collage!