Dull as Ditch Water

 Still the lack of action subdues the Post as out of the

Early Morning Gloom
flew the

Coastguard Helicopter
and the patter of tiny feet as the 3 younger

APRENTICES (Josh and Sophie)
came to visit after a full year's absence but Oliver proving camara shy.

Reaching the Heath was more like walking into Mordor and immediately scarring the

ROE DEER

looking as if suckling her Fawn?
However, the gloom was somewhat dispelled when catching sight of a f.f.y.

MOCHA
in the first trap then followed by a

GREAT DIVING BEETLE

along with a second f.f.y.

COPPER UNDERWING
From there things went rapidly down-hill as they have been doing for a number of days now so a visit to the Airport to look for any signs of Gulls.

There were c2 juvenile

HERRING GULLS

with a still sitting parent bird making it the worst season ever for breeding at this site.

There were a couple of

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLs

as well which have never been recorded breeding here.

There were also c9

juvenile

MOORHENs
along with a single adult bird but apart from evidence of the

WOOD PIGEONs

shaping up to have another go at procreation there were only the

MUTE SWAN FAMILY

including the albino cygnet wallowing in the main pond.
It looks nothing like things are going to take off soon, but we will still be out there giving it a go.

Yesterday Once More - The Carpenters

 An away-day yesterday and little / no improvement across the Wild World has us publishing little more than a 'filler' today' as the demise gets closer!

This small Puddle in the Airport

and this Hard Standing where once the Solar Panel Construction Team had their base
were both once home to the

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

during their all too short

Breeding Season

but the pond soon became overgrown as did the second site.

The construction of their nests was a joy to watch as they seemed to randomly toss tiny stones with their bills, over their heads forming the almost perfect cicular depression as a nest.

INCUBATING

Tiny Fluffy Juveniles

like the parent birds seemed to have no fear

and could usually be approached to within a matter of

a few feet.

Unfortunately, gone are the days

as lucky to see a single representative across any given year!

Will Ye No Come Back Again?

Time of the Season - The Zombies

 Like the readership (understandably) the bottom has / is dropping out of the Wildlife which is the way of things at this time of year. We suffered a 2,000 (yes 2,000) drop on the Hits Counter yesterday but who can complain when all we have is more of the same? Additionally, the Moth Traps are susceptible to inclement weather with the best of the bunch from last night's single trap being little more than

OAK EGGAR

LIME-SPECK PUG

DRINKER

and

DUSKY SALLOW
Otherwise, despite extensive searches the rest amounted to just the following.

HOUSE SPARROWs

benefiting from the morsels we provide on the lawn

while on the Heath, along with the other usual suspects, little more than this

ROE DEER
while at the Sewerage Works we found the return of the

JACKDAWs
along with this

BLACK SLUG
The Solar Panel Compounds faired little better with some

'self found'

PUFFBALL FUNGI
named from the brown dust-like spores emitted from the mature fruitbody,
while the Maintemance Foreman sent an image of a

TOAD
found in more or less the same place.
The 'find of the day' came while checking the Little Grebes, all still in fine fettle,

as a

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER

feeding among the surrounding Sallows.
This is only the second we have located this year with the first being seen in early spring and heard 'drumming' a couple of days later.We are hoping the seemingly downward trend does not continue! 

We have not as yet decided on a course of action but are considering a broad sweep between closing down altogether or trying to stick to a daily - which is highly unlikely until things improve.