Bits and Pieces - The Dave Clark 5

 It’s part of the gig really to stand on the doorstep any time around about the Witching Hour listening for nocturnal migrants or more local birds for that matter. It was such last night when c2 tiny and ghostly apparitions scampered across the lawn which surely could only have been

GREY SQUIRRELs? but otherwise no Birds.

Midnight on the water (doorstep),
I saw the ocean's daughter.
Walking on a wave she came,
staring as she called my name.

And I can't get it out of my head,
no I can't get it out of my head.
Now my old world is gone for dead,
'cause I can't get it out of my head no, no!

Further to that, at daylight we were also hampered in our ability to manoeuvre as the

STRANGE ROVER

had to be consigned to the Sick Bay under the care of our skilful pal Gerry but not before a lightning dash around all areas where it was pretty much a recap of previous days with the likes of

the

COOT

c3

LITTLE GREBEs

along with the female

TUFTED DUCK
all continue to occupy the Gravel Pit

Breakdown on the shoreline,
can't move, it's an ebb tide.
Morning don't get here tonight,
still searching for her silver light
while new arrivals elsewhere included this bonny looking

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
on the football pitches

and a fly-in

LITTLE EGRET
which landed on the margins of the Golf Course for only a matter of seconds while the ornimental

KNOB-HEADED GEESE
were hosting the return of just part of the presumed localy bred

MUTE SWAN
family on the Main Pond.
Otherwise, hoping not to over-egg the custard we are inclined to post the 'full monty'

on the local

female

KESTREL

perch above the pond and being so obliging

n'all.

An update on the Moths will follow in due course should there continue to be any.

And I can't get it out of my head,
No I can't get it out of my head
now my old world is gone for dead,
'cause I can't get it out of my head, no, no, no no!

E.L.O.

The Geese and the Ghost - Anthony Phillips

In the first instance, HUGE APOLOGIES for the absence of a Post yesterday due to day long Internet issues which will put us in arears until things level out. However, due to the persistance of our Valued Readership we did clue-up with more 'HITS' than usual. Thanks for persevering! 

 The delights of the continuing beauty of the

Early Morning Skies
warranted a mention on last nights BBC weather forecast while the wildlife

Heralds of the Daylight Hours
featured this very small skein of

GREYLAG GEESE
which alight just briefly no more than a couple of hundred yards away.

Returning to the Moth Traps we were to find yet another modest catch, but good for the time of year, starting with c2

RED-GREEN CARPET

yet another
MERVEILLE du JOUR in close company with a BLACK RUSTIC,

LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING
and surely close to the last of the year

CADDISFLY?

while in the wider-world it took no time at all to find the c2 escapee

BELTED GALLOWAYS
were still on the loose.

While transiting the Solar Panel Compound we took in the eyecatching and skeletal proportions of the now leafless Silver Birches, before having to utter a quiet BINGO to ourself

as the slight movement that caught the eye turned out to be one of the wayward

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE
absent for a number of months now

but matching very nicely with the one found 'down south' no more than a few days ago!
A slow amble back found no more than this couple of nicely plumed

STARLING
on the overhead cable in company with no more than a lone but equally fine looking

WOOD PIGEON
which comes nowhere near comparison with the
13,750 south-west of Studland, a further 12,750 close to Abbotsbury along with 5,950 at West Bay on Wednesday!

"At the Sign of the Prancing Pony"

 J. R. R. Tolkien

Where There's Muck There's Brass

 If truth be known had we not a Sewerage Works as part of out Recording Area there would have been little, or no activity to form a Post today - Saved by the Bell! But we get a little ahead of ourself with Moth Traps to visit firstly and despite our first 'minus' digit temperature even though just singular there was a second

CHESTNUT

along with a considered migrant and rather dark form of

SILVER Y

The dense hedgerows around the Works (looking west) form perfect Winter sanctuary for small Birds such as our first find of the day,

a small group of

CHIFFCHAFF
which usualy reside here throughout the season reliant on the emerging Insects produced due to the  warmer (man-made) conditions. Just a single

HERRING GULL
on the day which is not at all usual while the

COLLARED DOVE

is a year round resident as are most, if not all of the folowing.

(looking east)

WREN

DUNNOCK
or in 'old fasioned'
Hedge Sparrow although not a Sparrow at all!

STOCK DOVE

The diminutive GOLDCREST which is

our smallest Bird along with the Firecrest which have not shown themselves yet, while

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
are only occasional

while finally for the day was a rather handsom

GREY WAGTAIL

Many Happy Returns

 With a little more leeway as far as the inclement weather was concerned our intent for the day remained undampened as we kicked off with another search for yesterday's Red-legged Partridge, but without success. However, that was quickly countered by a close look at the

ORNIMENTALS
to find them, as is usual at this time of year,

laden with ripe fruits a major food-source for returning northern thrushes
Redwing and Fieldfare.

Back at the Moth Traps something of a surprise with a tardy

BLOOD-VEIN 

making something of an unexpected 'return' as usually finished by the end of September.

Additionally, our 5th
RADFORD'S FLAME SHOULDER

of the year, which as a 'suspected migrant' keeps its own council as to when it might show up?

Additionally, what we keep saying might be our last
HORNET
With the best chance of finding other returning Birds we headed for the

Sewerage Works
where once again the were little more than

BLACK-HEADED GULLs 

but further on a sight that we certainly not anticipating or wanted

yet another escape of 2 of the

Rare Breed Cattle
namely

BELTED GALLOWAYs

Another recent absentee has been the humble

LINNET
with these likely the harbingers of the Winter population?
With no more than a smattering of recent sightings across Dorset and surrounding Counties, and returns reported at Eyeworth Pond, Hampshire there was always a chance of a hopeful

MANDARIN

on our patch, where they once bred some 6 years ago on the

MOORS RIVER
where we located the 'bird of the day'!
While finally, the presumed breeding pair of

KESTRELs
(female)

(male)
have returned to the nest site in the stables now hopefully doubling as a Winter roost?