Sunday, 22 May 2022

Sri Lanka - Part II

 After the courtesy of the nations Flag

we continue the second part of our 3 weeks in Ceylon with a visit to
and just about first to be seen the
Obligatory Temple
white as the driven snow and after clearing human presence our first
BARKING DEER
STORK-BILLED
KINGFISHER
with
WHITE-BELLIED FISH EAGLE
numerous
DEITIES
WATER BUFFELO
ditto
representing a number of Gods and what we might call Saints?
APPOLO MOTH
GREEN
CHAMELION
and just a bit larger a herd this time of
ASIAN ELEPHANTS
a nice little run on Birds featured
BRAHIMANY KITE
PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA
YELLOW-WATTLED PLOVER
PLAINTIVE CUCKOO
and
SRI LANKAN JUNGLE FOWL
before bumping into the much hoped for
Big Daddy of them All
LEOPARD
and GREAT to see so many School Children soaking up
Their Inheritance.
On a Smaller Scale
BLACK-NECKED HARE
RED-WATTLED PLOVER
BROWN SHRIKE
ORIENTAL SKYLARK
MALABAR PIED HORNBILL
COMMON MYNA
and
MALABAR PIED HORNBILL
and maybe we should end the Part of the Saga with the Deitie of them all
without which they would surely be lost?
I Rest My Case Mi Lord!

Saturday, 21 May 2022

Moth'ers Little Helper - The Rolling Stones

 Having made such a Pot Mess (R. N. Stew) of Mr Partridge and his beloved Rosie, having put the Horse before the Cart, we will endeavour to get it right today! With Thursday night having qualified as the best so far this year for Moths, we will put those goodies all in one basket with a little reminiscing, pre-Covid of how things used to be when

Sophie, Josh and absent from the image brother Oliver,
occassional visits from
Dave Foot
and always welcome when they could make it Chloe, with Mark and Phil Sterling, here's hoping again soon! So for the Moths in no particular order but a fantastic start with
STRIPED HAWK-MOTH
and a Larvae thereof just for interest.
SERAPHIM
SCORCHED CARPET
an overdue
BUFF ERMINE
FOXGLOVE PUG
with some idea of size.
LESSER TREBLE-BAR
PRIVIT HAWK-MOTH
again with Larvae
PALE OAK BEAUTY
WHITE-POINT
likely a migrant.
both
EYED HAWK-MOTH
and at the other end of the size scale the tiny
CREAM-BORDERED GREEN PEA
and to conclude hopeing that we get this right, if someone discovers any kind of creature not yet described on Planr Earth, they get the privilege of naming that creature such as
RADFORD'S FLAME SHOULDER
and
CLANCY'S RUSTIC
(which we usually catch here but later in the year)
Unaware of this, our Ol' and Hapless Mate Willy Wine of Wimborne Fame made such a discovery in the week and having no knowledge of getting his name in lights for prosterity past it on to me. Certain to take ALL of the GLORY for such a find we believe it would be appropriate to name it
BAGSY'S BRAMLEY APPLE MOTH
(don't tell him will you!)

Friday, 20 May 2022

"Rosie" - Don Partridge Part One

We have always endeavoured to relate our headline, and by definition the accompanying Post, to a musical theme with today's and tomorrow's efforts fitting as near perfectly as ever published before.

Any day that starts with the Wildlife coming to you makes it ROSY in the first place,
but when that happens before you even swing out of the hammock, then things get that little more ROSINE!
with this tiny critter having fallen out of the Star Tunnel Skylight and onto my face. One thing about having a passion for Insects, et al, you usually have a specimen pot handy - thus was the case.
While that came close to rosy even before dawn the first
CETTI'S WARBLER
to grace our beat of the Stour was descanting with an also welcome
SEDGE WARBLER
while the Cherry on the cake was surely the first Insect from the Moth Traps
which might be described as 'scarce' but may even qualify as 'rare' a
BUTTONED SNOUT
while also of value as another First for the Year a
WORMWOOD PUG
and also of acrobatic value another
PUSS MOTH

firstly showing its starboard side and then this stern view.
Arriving at 18-Acre down south we found the stubble field had been tilled, a huge bonus as we are now more likely to see Ground Nesting Birds, should they arrive and no sooner had that thought cleared our head out popped c2
RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE
not recorded in these parts for at least a year and bringing with it memories of the
first, last and only
GREY PARTRIDGE
ever personally seen here as far back as 31/12/2013.
At the Satellite section of the heath the new arrival
SUSSEX RED CATTLE
were performing the best they have since arrival with the calf 'suckling'
and the other Cow
Contentedly Chewing the Cud.
After our previous manifestation it was almost impossible to believe we had also just seen c2 more Red-Legged Partiridge
take to the wing, never having been recorded in this area before.
Not a lot to report from within the Main Solar Panel compound, for this half of the story at least, but
there was some value while at close quarters watching this
LINNET
feathering its own nest
and a most
confiding
GREENFINCH
just strutting its stuff, while the more astute may have surmised that there was yet another, quite different pair of
RED-LEGS
to end this part of the saga - part 2 manana!