Rosy - Don Partridge

"Rain before 7, dry by 11"? Another myth you can scratch from your psyche, didn't even step 'ashore' yesterday so thankfully a few snaps from previous days!

There were a few more First for the Year Moths, which we recovered during a 30 minute weather window late afternoon, but not before giving more than a passing glace over the ever maturing

CANADA GEESE YOUNGSTERS

SCORCHED WING

and in 'cocked tail' pose, but from here on we have to return to the past couple of days.

A real favourite
ALDER MOTH

BRINDLED WHITE-SPOT

ROSY MARBLED

little bigger than a
Garden Pea

and something of a Wildlife surprise as this

FOX MOTH
laid her eggs before our very eyes - nice bonus and all returned to the Wild.
While sat there musing a female

BLACKCAP

was heading towards us at first reluctant to break cover

but as she did so

the

Male

in full voice

also put in an

appearance.
There was little else to the day but as ever when there is a light wind across the Heath the

ASPENS,
now in full leaf, are at their very best rustling in the wind while as far as foliage is concerned the

ALDER BUCKTHORN
has quickly followed suit while, despite the Autumnal spraying of the

FERNs
still they grow readily, but what a

pattern to the fronds the
KIWI's
can be rightly proud of their emblem although not that welcome here!

Drive - The Cars

If this is what the SUMMER Solstice brings you can keep it, looks like it's set in for the day!

More rain yesterday of the drizzely, get you wet quick veriety, somewhat hampered our intentions but by no means dampened our spirits. It is also a given that the nearer to Summer we get the less we are likely to see of Birds and Mammals but we still content ourself with a few additions to the Annual Moth List with among those being.........

A most welcome

BORDERED SALLOW

GREY PUG

no less welcome

SHOULDER-STRIPED WAINSCOT

and

TURNIP MOTH

while it was the turn of a greedy

HOUSE SPARROW,
which are having great breeding success here this year!

The prints along the track on the heath seemed to emanate from the Sett
so we attribute them to

BADGER
Out of milk, a diversion was needed and to brighten a situation we could have done without
we spotted en-route what might be an

AUSTIN 7
but if we are to believe the sign on the back, most certainly a 'Hackney Carriage'
"TAXI"
Back closer to home the 'clump' of tiny juvenile

MOORHEN
were considered to have been predated in total, but it would seem that

one at least has survived to

Tell the Tale.

Finally,

and behind our backs this year,

having nested right next to the homestead in 2020,

seem very much to be enjoying the delights of flowering

CLOVER

with Mum or Dad

still very much in attendance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFkAJ0HOWkM

Most of Us of the older generation remember Live Aid - Did it make any Difference?

Entente Cordiale (Ain't Just for Nations)

 Something we had quite forgotten about until recent days was the sequel to our Taiwan adventure back in 2012. Along with the fact that I had also met German birdwatcher and temporary resident

BRUNO WALTHER

and later wife MEG with friend LU LIN
we had not only enjoyed some very profitable Birding together but also the

DELIGHTS

of some

TAIWANESE

Street Cuisine.
However, the whole gig had been arranged around the 2012 Olympic Games which was not going to be missed even for this. Having been heavily involved in the run up to the sailing event trials of the 2008 Games before, as the course layer and one end of the start gate and safety boat, surely the memories would come flooding back. The only fly in the ointment was that the whole thing was refered to as The Weymouth Olympic's Sailing Event while the heart of the matter was firmly stationd at the PORTLAND Sailing Accadamy!

However, early morning on the day I caught the first bus to Portland Bill from where the Olympic Torch was to be ignited with a series of runners transporting it to Weymouth. At the aftermath it was decided to follow it and get a photo of myself at the Olympic Rings Statue at the Weymouth Railway Station and a firm handshake from one of the Torchbearers.

(don't know who the Whipper Napper was but he had a medal and who's counting?)

Already posing there was a young Oriental lady whom I simply could not but approach to ask her origins with the answer being the most 'unlikely' Taiwan. Assuring her of my honest intentionand and that we would not stray off the Straight and Narrow she agreed to my proposal of showing her around my beloved Weymouth and Portland over the coming days.

An international student at Bournemoth Univercity, she asked if her Chinese friend could join us on the following day, which formed a further delight, and a Dutch male classmate on the final day.

We covered a lot of ground from climbing the Lower Light Lighthouse at Portland Bill, which is the Portland Bird Observatior, Tout Quary with all its budding masons and sculpters, the Accadimy itself and as shown

The Kings Statue in Weymouth
Dedicated to King George III who brought the delights of swimming in the sea to the towns notice and in time the rest of the country.

Unfortunately, all other images seem to have been lost to the eather but our rambles turminated at the mighty fine

Crab House Cafe

on the cusp of the Fleet at Ferrybridge, seperating Weymouth from Portland, and in full view of the unique

CHESIL BEACH

While looking for nothing the Students parting gift to me was typically Far Eastern this

Rice Paper Kite
which is valued as much as any of my trophies!

and by chance also met the Omani crew in the Soling Yacht event.

I will fly a yellow paper Sun in your sky,

when the wind is high, when the wind is high.

I will fly a silken silver Moon near your window,

if your night is dark, if your night is dark.

In letters of gold on a snow white kite, I will write "I love you".

And send it soaring high above you, for all to read.

Kites - Simon Dupree and the Big Sound

(later to metamorphos into the fabulously punchy - Gentle Giant)