The Geese and the Ghost - Anthony Philips

We are on a 'Long Distance' Away-Day today hence the Early Post and with fingers tightly crossed, and without tempting providence, we hope to bring you something rather special in days to come!

It is always worth a look into the 2 ponds on the way to flashing up the Moth Traps but maybe more particularly when it comes to welcoming

the first New Arrivals of the Year

CANADA GEESE

on the Gravel Pit where the c7 Goslings are being watched over by c4 Adults.
Another early morning did not hold much promise for Insects which is how things panned out with

SCARCE PROMINENT
being the best of a Very Limited Bunch.
The

GREY HERON
on the Moors River was only the 4th of the year making it something of a Record Breaker in as much as the average per month has never before amounted to just a 'single'.
Ever onward to where this

JACKDAW

seemed to be making the most of it but,

up and down from Post to Ground like the proverbial Fiddlers Elbow
there was never going to be chance of a worthy video clip!

The smartest male

LINNET

seen this year then came into view and, not surprisingly given the getup,

with his new Bride in company but seemingly doing

All the Work!
Now where have we heard that before?
Returning for a moment to the

CHAROLAIS
we had not noticed until now that some are still sporting 'horns', which in our view adds to their appearance, so decided to commit one to celluloid but typically
Lights, Camera, Focus

and this happened,

"Tale Two - Chewing the Cud"
a fine beast!
Having conducted eveningtime observations, there has been no signs of life from the
Badger Sett
now considered redundant but in its place

MISTER MOLE
and his cohorts have been extremely busy while the tranquility of the

Swaying Catkins
was disturbed by yet another 'low flying' helicopter this a

EUROCOPTER COLIBRI

We have muted the idea of a Red Sector No Fly Zone but it would seem every one is a Conservationist until being asked to do something posative?
At the turning on of the Midnight Lamps (Jimi Hendrix) we were lucky and blessed to capture these

GOLDFINCH

in the last beams of the

Setting Sun.
As we started with Waterfowl so shall we end as at the final knockings we watched on the

Main Pond 

this
MOORHEN

continues building what is considered to be a rather 'exposed' nest - we'll see?

'Sheep' - The Housemartins

 Joy of Joy's and an absolute delight to have the 'chittering' of

SWALLOWs
now joining the dawn chorus at first light but less so at the home-bound Moth Traps where were found few Insects all of a very common nature. It would seem we have given you something of a bum steer as not having seen the

CANADA GOOSE
sitting at the Main Pondside for 10 days or more but as the image shows

and the clip endorses they are still incubating so time to keep a sharp eye for the new Goslings!         

With a chill +3°C on the Heath all indications seem to point to a similar result as previous, but          "ye of little faith” never caught the ‘biggy’!Clinging to the kitchen foil which lines the funnel was another

LUNAR MARBLED BROWN

with not far behind a rather worn and ragged but nevertheless 'first for year'

LEAD-COLOURED DRAB
not only a First for the Year but the First we have ever clapped eyes on - "YES"!
Highly unlikely that was going to be upstaged on the day, but there were still things of interest to be found such as the resurected vocals of the 'early nesting'

WOODLARK

which looked every bit as if feeding young which we hope are destined for the Canon.
Next, but somewhat more distantly, there seemed to be overtures being made

to attract a

MATE

and as we know from past experiences once the

MISTLE THRUSH

flashes up there will be
No Quarter........
As if appearing overnight the 2 already active giant cranes have been joined by this

JIB CRANE
at the Airport while far more delicate and sedate the first

PRIMROSE

are now in full bloom.
On our way back it was noted that the

SHEEP

were back in the Main Compound as was this hunting

STONECHAT

looking rather like a 'juvenile' but surely not yet?
A wander down south, the usual stronghold of the Lesser Whitethroat here, bore no fruit

but it certainly looks like the 'standards' in the Manor car park will,
the same as this winter when Fieldfare and Redwing alike were able to gorge themselves.
While talking of 'arborials' the local

HORSE CHESTNUTs
are also showing signs of their 'candle-like' flowers along a very healthy looking hedge

leading to the most westerly part of our range.
At the extent we met not only the
River Stour

but maybe as many as 50

HOUSE MARTINs

a further addition to the
Bird Year List which now stands at 106 for the Recording Area.

the first signs of

Oil Seed Rape
will doubtlessly also be adornring extensive Dorset hillsides while our final find

seemed rather strange when finding this
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
just sitting alone in the middle of a recently harrowed and seeded 20-acre field through a

Heat Haze

before being joined by a second

but with no signs of feeding!
Here's Hoping for More to Come.

Sensibility v Adiction

 Having never sampled the former and the 'glass' already showing zero there were only 2 choices, stick with Murphy v Selby or Flash up the Traps, it was the latter. No prizes for guessing the outcome but the result amounted to 3 Moths of 3 Species which we are happy to highlight here!

COMMON QUAKER

CLOUDED DRAB
The thaw was quick turning the morning into Spring-like, setting us on our way, and first of all checking the progress, or otherwise of the new

MOORHEN NEST

which was still occupied and under construction.

Good Fortune quickly turned to bad at the other side of the Pond

as it may well have been the 'partner that had been predated by this
SPARROWHAWK
philosophically speaking " there are plenty more Fish in the Sea - or are there?
Continuing, there was not a sign of life on the Irrigation Pond but quite the opposite on the Gravel Pit where all c7 Goslings continue to thrive and the short series of peeping from a Wader revealed the presence of a 'first for the year'

and rather mobile

COMMON SANDPIPER

which eventually fell to the Canon and brought up our 106th species of the year.
However, there are concerns

from the same MISTY location
as the 'single'

LITTLE GREBE

very much remains that way.
On the gatepost to the Heath was found this

ACORN
which looked as if having provided a morsal for a small Mammal or other
while the rest featured the now daily residents

just cannot resist the male

STONECHAT

along with the build up of

very vocal

COMMON WHITETHROAT

which effectively

brought yet anothe decent wander to an end at

Lighting Up Time!