Cuckoo Cocoon - Genesis

  From their most complex and totally believable album ever?

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

With another sunny Spring-like day on Friday (despite the wind) and others predicted for the week-end, it was more than we could resist not to flash up the Moth Traps despite the oncoming overnight -3°C. Only my own slant on things, but surely with all that sunshine and warmth ‘cocoons’ must have been popping left, right and midships and tending the traps proved that some had!

OAK BEAUTY

SATELLITE
along with

YELLOW HORNED
nothing new but Moth's is Moth's!

Wrapped up in some powdered wool - I guess I'm losing touch.
Don't tell me this is dying, 'cause I ain't changed that much.
The only sound is water drops, I wonder where the hell I am,
Some kind of jam?

Cuckoo Cocoon have I come to, too soon for you?

Heading north it seemed as if the

POLICE HELICOPTER 

was about to pounc upon us but attentions focused elsewhere as arriving at the 

Irrigation Pond 

to find this

COOT

had taken up station there a even as a good find this may also be the vangaurd

of the next breeding attempts - it was certainly feeding well.
Another 'blink of the eye' and more goodies just around the corner where in the first instance

stopped to capture this

MAGPIE

a wily bird at anytime but seems to drop its guard a little during the nesting season.
Prospecting We Think and just a minor interuption as spotting a pair of

GADWALL

not yet cavorting

(male)
but highly unlikely to breed here

(female)

First for the Year on Home Turf!

Amid a cluster of c7

CANADA GEESE

with this image particularly giving some indication of the quality of the day,

but they were already 'at it' in part........
Also 'at it' in quite a different direction and in view from theHeath

AIRPORT FIRE BRIGADE

but wait as we may there were to be

no FLAMES on this excercise while a count of 4

AIRBUSES
stood quietly close by.
A look around us presented a similar picture to that at the Pond, across the Heath

toward the
ASPENS
and when the

FRENCH ALPINE RARE BREED GOAT
sprints towards you, in pose, who could resist a 'click'?
At this point we could also hear the low-key chattering but no sight of a
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
but were far more attracted to the 'chipperings and songs' a little further away.
Totally irresistable, we believe there have already been advisory warnings of more to come as

WOODLARK
were once again on parade with their stubby shortened tails and

eyebrows (supercilium) that meet at the nape

while varaciously fattening up

for what seems likely to be

yet another

bountiful

Breeding Season
with

TEAL

on the Moors River once again bringing our

'little ditty' to a conclusssion!

This was by no means the end of the day with Part II planned for your laptop tomorrow.

Early Grey - Not to be Confused with a Nice Cup of Tea

 Only 5 days into Spring and already we are feeling a little overwhelmed but no complaints, as 'new for the year' Moths continue to show with Birds doing well also!

EARLY GREY

as the name suggests

and likewise in numbers

MARCH MOTH
both along with the 'first'

DOR BEETLEs
Down south a few Northern Thrushes (Redwing / Fieldfare) still linger but otherwise only the

splendour of the magnificent

SALLOW

Catkins Included
More good news at the Irrigation Pond where another (presumed) pair of

LITTLE GREBE

appear to have taken up residence as those at the Gravel Pit were seen just 10 minutes later.

The passing of the
Coastguard Rescue Helicopter
seemed not to disturb anything as during the monitoring of the Heath Moth Traps both

the heavy beat of a drumming

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
seemed almost in sync with that of the sewing machine-like taps of a

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER

which as far as timeing was concerned was right on queue and an addition to the year.

Also there was our first 'vocal'

LINNET
but doubtful the last  along with a rather photogenic and naked

SILVER BIRCH
while

a bubbly

DEAN'S DITCH
continues to flow into the Moors River making for good copy.

Close by the

WOODLARK

are not just present but singing and displaying while a second stop at the
Irrigation Pond found this male

MALLARD
quacking and shining in the new found sunshine, but a far more lucky find was this lone

COMMON SNIPE

which flushed before we had chance to bring the video to bear and then ending with the female

KESTREL
which we hope to be able to bring more of over the nesting season?

Moth-er's Little Helper - The Rolling Stones

We'll quickly address our foible of yesterday as still cannot understand why / how we captioned the 'deer' as Muntjak?? Plainly 'Sika' but sometimes worth being a Senior Citizen just to get out of it!

Across the Solar Panel Compound

After that all too short but magical encounter with Dave over the weekend his final words still resonate in my ears, "Thank Heavens that over and don't forget to shut the breather valve on the header tank to the generator"! Comparable with the raising of Lazarus we remembered but an all too long a wait for dusk to arrive and flash up for the first time in anger!

The black cap right on the orange header tank and we'll tidy up the spaghetti later.

All shiny and ready to go the genny did kick in with a few splutters at the first time of asking and with all steaming lights burning brightly we wandered off in search of Woodcock giving it chance to prove all was OK.
As far as the Birds were concerned one

WOODCOCK
(we are yet to capture this elusive and well camouflaged bird on camera)
was heard (a most unusual sound) flying overhead while a further c3 were noted as we returned to a Darken Ship Trapping Area. A quick check around and a couple more pulls and we were in business again and loitering for anoth 30 minutes all seemed well? Returning the following morning as soon as light would allow we found more darkness and at which point rmembered we hadn't opened the same valve to allow the required air into the system - HIS fault for not telling me!! It was doubtful the engine was running for more than 30 to 40 minutes but the result was seriously astounding given the temperature!  

Quick as a Flash our Ol' Mate was back looking for a free meal

and not caring a jot about Social Distancing, that's me in the mirror!
        First out and in quick succession c3 First for Year

OAK BEAUTY

what a start, followed by a

single and again First for Year

SATELLITE

as were c4

YELLOW HORNED

and we add finally add for comparison this dark phase

HEBREW CHARACTER

along with a far more pale specimen out of the same trap.

With little time for much else, victuals and bunkers were beckoning,
there were the persitant chatterings of 2 or more

NUTHATCH
A less than enthusiastic rounds of the

Reptile Covers
particularly as Adder has been found on Portland and other County site but only to find

BROWN-LIPPED SNAIL
along with a

Rodent's Nest of a Kind

while the largest and heavyest of the corrugated covers had been wind-blown
about 100 yards across the Heath.
Continuing the 'Scrap Metal Theme' this

Airport Hulk
is now open to view after the refurbish which John tells us is a
CANADA AIR CL44 also known as a GUPPY.
The Rare Breed Goats were also allowing for a 'full crew'

in the same field of view while the passing

Skien in Silhouette
were considered to be Greylag on bill size and shape alone.
While we still have not recorded a 'true' migrant yet (early days) things out there really do seem to be perking up, so fingers crossed for days to come and you know where you will see it 'first'!