The Boy(s) Is Back In Town - Thin Lizzy





Good fortune shone on me once again as I prepared to leave Parley Court Farm and my dear friends there. While I wouldn't pretend to have been a close friend of successful Weymouth businessman Dave Jones we did rub shoulders occasionally at spearfishing competitions back in the 70's. However, his sister Mary was a dear friend of mine at school while her twin brother Mickey was an acquaintance. In recent years Dave's son Mickey, now co-director of the business and regular visitor to Spain, has become something of a mate with his latest return via Bournemouth International Airport coinciding with my planned journey to Weymouth where he has always lived. This led him to kindly offer me a lift back stating "your company will be far more interesting than listening to the radio".  

MICKEY JONES and a
REDUNDANT DECKCHAIR SALESMAN

 KING GEORGE III STATUE

 WEYMOUTH SANDS and SEAFRONT (South)

WEYMOUTH SANDS and SEAFRONT (North)

 X53 JURASSIC SERVICE
should have a bit of business for them in the coming days.

JUBILEE CLOCK

 WEYMOUTH INNER HARBOUR

WEYMOUTH OUTER HARBOUR

 and awaiting in the distance and near future

THE ISLE of PORTLAND

You're Gorgeous - Baby Bird

Look out of any window here at Parley Court Farm and you're sure to see either baby birds or incubating and feeding adults, it's magic. On the strength of that, it was thought a good idea to wander the property and check just what could be found  by way of procreation.

As ever there is one pair of MUTE SWAN on Parley Pond,
but the nest containing a number of eggs just a week ago at the
Manor House Pool has now been abandoned and the eggs are gone?

Staying at the pond and soon the recently hatched
MOORHEN chicks emerge from the sedges.

There are Coot here too but don't seem to be in breeding mode.

Not surprisingly MALLARD also produce 'many' ducklings, but mortality rate is high. Apart from the ever attendant Carrion Crows a number of Pike have been caught from the watercourse recently, one hitting the scales at 9.5lb, which are released to the River Stour, so this also doesn't help.

In the stable yard this morning a PIED WAGTAIL was
capture busily nest building, while

HOUSE MARTINs

were commuting from there to the Manor House

with bills loaded with building material.

The Tudor Cottage Pond also has it's quota of MALLARD chicks
which will be monitored to see how many survive to
growing process.

A 'while' BLUEBELL was of interest on the way to the next site
where Janet had reported more nesting activity.

This vehicle is a redundant Horse Box, these days used to transport and store hay for the owners horses. Early this week they towed it to Ringwood, just a few miles away, to pick up a consignment of feed. On their return they noticed a Robin disappearing into the spare wheel,

and there within found a nest with a number of young birds, totally
unaffected by the short tour. The closed 'gapes' can just be seen.

Sticking to the same theme, close by are the stables where 3 horses are accommodated and their tack hung in the covered area. Here too a pair of ROBINs have taken up residence in a 'nose-bag'.

Here the sitting bird can be seen and as it always flies
away when the ladies rig the horses for a morning ride,

the opportunity was taken to photograph the eggs.

Another small diversion were the GOATs which always attract me

as they are 'pets' and live a life of Riley.

As noted last week the ROOKs continue to tend there young,

while a number of 'squabs' young WOOD PIGEONs have
mature to 'flying' from this nest.

BARN SWALLOW
are nesting in just every out-building on the property

but this pair seem to be a little confused as this is a 'Garage'!

HOUSE SPARROW

Two Rivers - Avril Lavigne

A casual remark over dinner at the East Close Hotel in the New Forest last Monday evening turned into something of a dream come true for me today. In the company of Janet's (mine host) brother Martin Wickham and his wife Lisa, who have recently taken possession of Home Farm at Hurn village here in Dorset, he simply stated he would like to know a little more about the birds that might be found on the property. Regular readers may remember my involvement with a 3 years dedicated Bird Survey at Parley Court Farm some years ago, but this was to be a far less detailed wander taking up all of the morning.

Starting in the stable yard, Lisa being a serious equestrian, the expected suspects including Barn Swallow, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Starling, Wood Pigeon, Wren etc were quickly logged

and how nice to see 'staddle stones' being used for the purpose intended. This isn't strictly true as this sturdy shed will eventually be converted into a play house for the grandchildren but they will keep the Rats and other vermin at bay.

Crossing Hay Meadow and

Horse Paddock, with the farm house in the background,

we arrived at the MOORS RIVER
which bisects the farm, With limited experience

I thought it was little more than a brook, only to find a fairly wide,
deep and clean watercourse.

MARSH MARIGOLD
Here too, Chiffchaff, Robin, Blue Tit, Siskin, Great Spotted and
Green Woodpeckers, Great Tit, Blackcap, Mallard, Pheasant, to

name but a few , were thought to be breeding along with

this young GREY WAGTAIL (one of 3 broods seen) being fed
by the parent birds. Over the style and onto

where Orange Tip and Peacock Butterflies were found

among Mighty Oaks, Whitethroat, Dunnock, Long-tailed Tit

SONG THRUSH

and an unexpected flight of c3 SHELDUCK. Had the place been more familiar to me it would have been known that they are commonplace on the gravel pits obscured by the hedge.

This ancient cart track, not a million miles from Bournemouth International Airport (BIA), produced what was to be the highlight of the day but not before producing Greenfinch, Mistle Thrush, House Martin, Rook, Stock Dove, Goldcrest, Sedge Warbler, Kestrel and Nuthatch.

On our way we had been checking the many holes and cavities in the Oak trees but didn't expect to see this one, complete with 'droppings', feathers and other 'food' debris, with a

BARN OWL

perched on the lip. Considering the time lag, this was thought to be a decent effort at a photograph, but if there is a return visit it will be 'fore-warned'.

Plenty more grassland and plenty of hay to come
if the weather is kind.

Martin pointed out this BEE'S NEST,
just crying out for a Honey Buzzard,

before finding this Blackbird's EGG, which looked predated
rather than hatched,

before wandering the final 'beat' of the river until later.

 It was time to cross the road onto more public property,
where we found this 'road-killed' male Blackcap, and entered

 TOWN COMMON and RAMSDOWN HILL
affording an all round view of the local countryside.
The 'white smudges' centre are BIA.

 An interesting 'flight pond' in the middle of the Heath which will
surely be visited again on subsequent visits here.

 Continuing around the rim, The Isle of Wight and
The Needles can be seen from here,

 while this 'white smudge is the Bournemouth
'Centre Point Shopping Complex'.
Here, we also added Coal Tit, Cuckoo and Buzzard to the list.

 Back onto Martin's land and we reached the

 RIVER STOUR

 Here too are lush meadows but badly effected by weeds which would make for 'poor' hay. These have been sympathetically sprayed to eradicate the unwanted plants while leaving wide margins of cover around the fields and all the SEDGES in tact.

 These 2 shots show the confluence of the
STOUR and the MOORS RIVERS

 Wind blown Oaks cross the Moors.

 The Paintball Range which is a little unsightly but far better
than neon signs and a hamburger parlour!

RHODODENDRONS
are starting to bloom

in the tranquil setting of the river valley.

A GREAT day for me personally being afforded a chance to discover another small corner of my favoured county and away from the public gaze. I should thank Martin and Lisa for this opportunity and look forward to accepting their 'open invitation' again in the near future.