The Lark Ascending - Vaughan Williams

 Not in either of our Blog manifestations have we ever featured a 'single species' in a complete Post, but we got close to it today, until 2 small punctuations queered the pitch. Despite the best efforts of Storm  Evert, seemingly keeping a steady course along the English Channel and knocking up a 77 m.p.h. gust at the Needles, Isle of Wight, just a stone's throw from here, while we saw but a 40, there were Moths with for starters a f.f.y.

OAK EGGAR
and in similar fashion a

FESTOON
before setting off in hopes of other things. Stopping at the Aspens, just to listen to the russling of the leaves we turned th binoculars to the cross path where some way ahead was spotted a small bird on the track. Sticking to the 'mobile bird hide' we at first, and at distance that it might be a young Starling, which would have been a wonder in itself as they simple do not visit the Heath??

closer it was seen to have reddish legs and closer

something of a crest which pointed to Skylark

which are almost as reluctant as the Starlings to visit this patch.

 

The faint traces of a supercilium (eyebrow)

might have helped but it was only when it took to the wing in full song that we arrived at juvenile

WOODLARK
The second fly in the oitment as far as Single Species Status was concerned was a

magical

and similarly juvenile

STONECHAT

which looked as if pleading to be clicked - so it was!
However, even closer, as if that were possible,

yet another

and more easily identifiable

juvenile

WOODLARK

the first we had seen since the first week of May

when having decided that

they we having a

Poor Year

of it but now somewhat redressing the balance!

Twilight Time - The Platters

A great sky-scape to kick off the day that didn't last as long as it took to produce this post before the rain set in once again. Maybe a little churlish to say not a lot of interest from the Moth Traps when you have secured a

First for Year

RED TWIN-SPOT CARPET

a 'second generation'

PEBBLE HOOK-TIP

(larvae from the archive)
and similarly a

CLAY TRIPLE-LINES
but when considering we are in High Summer we would expect far better!

On the up side we do have the pleasure of having to sit among the

OAKs and BIRCHs for about 90 minutes, somebodies got to do it!
Otherwise, we have determined that there is but a 'single'

HUMBUG

where the clutch size is more usually 4 eggs

with one being better than none!

we have also reduced the footage time to 10 seconds, which has certainly 'glued' onto the screen so see how it gose when we issue the Post?

The paler LITTLE GREBE was tending the nest on the day while the
darker was providing the food.

Looks loke one of the juvenile
CARRION CROWs
might have met its Waterloo while the

FENCE MODIFICATION
appears to be serving its purpose.
The end of this stage of the day came in fine fashion as what Sun there was seemed to have

Coaxed the Cocoon to Crack
and set a fine specimen of

WHITE ADMIRAL
before us.

Lounge Lizard - Mott the Hoople

 A bit of a mixed bag as far as yesterday's Wildlife and Weather were concerned but nothing to keeps us Confined to Barracks!

GOLD SPOT

along with our second EAR MOTH were the best from a poor overnight haul but nicely ballanced with the first signs of

ORANGE FUNGI
and

PERSISTANT WAXCAP

MUSHROOM
and the rather strange looking but aptly named

HAIRY EARTH TONGUE
A day for turning the Herp's (Reptile) Covers started without even touching them as a most obliging

SAND LIZARD

soaking up some much needed rays

on which these creatures depend.
During the Spring we had concerns for our 2

ALDER BUCKTHORN TREES

but come the day all has turned out well and healthy.
Next was a case of 'hope' rather than any expectations as the

ADDER

our only venomous Snake

is considered 'rare' here!

but not so the humble
SLOW WORM
What little Sun there was seemed to have enticed a number of

BANDED

DEMOISELLE
and

BEAUTIFUL

DEMOISELLE
to take to the wings.
However, we have to end on something of a low note as we also found a

GREY HERON

perilously close to the nest of the Little Grebe's.