Saturday, 3 May 2014

Refugee - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Refugee Link 
Ya don't have to live like a Refugee
It's only been 2 nights and already I'm missing them, boo hoo, but to be fair the Dampney's have been extremely generous to the bitter end! They called a family meeting and voted that, with the exception of Sunday's when they thought I may get over excited, I could call round and gaze through the kitchen window while dinner was being prepared and if needs be lick the pane occasionally. Not withstanding that, I did have a trick or two up my own sleeve and know from experience that the old 'horse dung' rouse never fails. Approaching Harbins close to dinner time last night, I picked up a lump of the afore mentioned and as Janet made to answer the door I put it to my mouth as if to eat it. "No, no Bagsy" she cried "you can't possibly eat that", (see it's working) " here are the keys to the stable, pop across there and get yourself a nice 'warm' piece"! The 4**** Avon Causeway Hotel looked most inviting but even having bartered them down to £1.50 for bed, breakfast, evening meal and all the wine I could scupper there was still a struggle to drum up the 'readies'. So, I found a tiny bivouac not far from the farm, which was handy as there were still the traps to tend this morning and something to snuggle up to should a frost set in. Anyway, enough about my good fortune, on the way to the traps this morning this
WOOD PIGEON
was taking full advantage of the latest downpour. 
New on the Property List
NUTMEG
followed by the first
 (Hawk) of the year
 POPLAR HAWK-MOTH
 COMMON CARDER BEE
our 6th species of what may loosely be described as Bumblebees this year.
 FLY
thought to be 
Phasia obesa
 TIGER CRANEFLY Sp
and a few wild plants by the wayside.
 WHITE DEAD NETTLE
 RED CAMPION
 LADY'S SMOCK
YELLOW FIELD ANT COLONY
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Thursday, 1 May 2014

My (Our) Little Girl - Tim McGraw

Our Little Girl - Link
Warning - do not Click Link unless you have a tissue to hand.
PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE TO YOU
ELIZABETH LOUISE YORK
MY GRANDDAUGHTER
 Not even a hour old and already
taking after her Grandpa!
 A little later in the day and complete with new clothes and a
 little frown she's ready for another nap.
Which reminds me ZZZzzzzzz!
 A little less than one day old and after a good nights sleep,
so Mummy tells me, the wrinkles are gone and it's back to the
Land of Nod - yes most definitely destined to be a Sea Captain this one!
Now for another startling revelation - at 12:00 precisely today, complete
with kit-bag and hammock and after exactly one year to the minute here, I left
'HARBINS' FARMHOUSE
to seek my own fortune in the Greater, Wider World.
Afterglow - Genesis
Like the dust that settles all around me,
I must find a new home.
The ways and holes that used to give me shelter,
Are all as one to me now.
I would have been at Harbins earlier had I not given Paul and Tess and Janet different days for my departure/arrival - but that's history!
 I feel it would be safe to say that during this 'all too quick' 12 months the friendship between Hugh and Janet Dampney and myself has become as solid as a friendship can ever be. Not only that, it is also considered that I have become something of a established (let's say) 'associate member' of this fine family. Certainly a day of reminiscing for me and wondering if they ALL could have been just a little more kindly towards me? During this period I have eaten some of the finest and most diverse food of my life, both Hugh and Janet being accomplished cooks, certainly on par with anyone to appear on Master Chef. Add to that a cellar of fine wines and numerous visits to excellent quality restaurants, I do believe they were at least trying to please me? Then came the 'outside' visits including a trip to Wembley Stadium to see England play San Marino, followed by a return trip to thoroughly enjoy witnessing Wigan belittle the mighty Manchester City in the FA Cup Final - I am no football pundit, but sure as hell love an 'underdog'. Then came the Rugby, first sharing a 'box', with food and drink provided, to watch Bath play Ospreys at their home ground followed by a trip to Twickenham where England once again showed Australia the way to play. The latter would have been kindness enough on its own, but Hugh had also invited my Australian Son in Law to join us with the 'banter' - need I say more. There were then 2 trips to their house in France where again fine food and wine featured strongly, while the 'birding' included Griffon Vulture and Black-shouldered Kite.
As for the rest of the family, well decide for yourself and then if thought necessary send in some Red Cross parcels! Food continued to be key at most of our meetings and when H and J were away on any weekend, in would step her Mum and Dad with an invitation to join them for a fine 'Sunday roast'. When Ladies Beach Volleyball Olympian Zara wed New Zealander Kirk her Father (Hugh's elder brother) Trelawney and wife Gwenn Dampney invited me to the happy couple's wedding breakfast where, after a casual comment about the families favourite football team Southampton, resulted in a visit to St Mary's to see them play Manchester City. A great day was had by all. On celebration days it was off to Hugh's Mum's for Brioche and Madeira Wine, Boxing Day at the family home of Janet's brother (although I still feel they coped very well with my continuous mention of missing the BrĂ¼nnich's Guillemot found that day at Portland) and even an invite to youngest family member Ethan's Birthday Party and the wedding of eldest son Daryl and his bride to be Cath at the end of this month. So, as you can see they could have done a lot better and if they should ever invite me back, feel sure they will try even harder!!!!
THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO THE DAMPNEY and WICKHAM FAMILIES
For myself (me, me, me, me, Me), the intent is to spend some time wandering East Dorset and West Hampshire for a few days before making another Life Changing decision - I have a few things in mind and will let you know as and when. This may mean Communication Breakdown from time to time due to unavailability of Internet, but don't go away.
 After all that excitement a few more specimens from the Moth Traps over the past few days. * indicates new to the property, while # shows new for the year.
 SCALLOPED HOOK-TIP#
 STREAMER*
 MAY HIGHFLIER*
 PEBBLE PROMINENT#
 PALE PROMINENT*
 The bizarre
 COXCOMB PROMINENT*
 GREY DAGGER?
or likely so as positive ID can only be qualified by dissection
so I am reliable told by a learn'ed friend.
 SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART
a notably 'pale' specimen.
 GARDEN BUMBLEBEE
(we seem to have done very well for large Bees this year, this being 
the sixth species)
 Best identified, or so I am told by my friend Mr Gifford,
by the long proboscis.
 SNOW PTARMIGAN
Our friend Chris Cook, formally of Puncknowle, Dorset and now
firmly established in Tokyo, Japan, writes to tell of the hiking season
just beginning in his adopted country along with another fabulous photograph.
Thank You Chris and good to hear from you once again.
While we pride ourselves here at the Bagsy Blog in publishing nothing that would be remotely offencive to anyone, there comes a time when simple good humour just overtakes all else. We thank Willie Wine for sending this snippet and personally I have not stopped laughing at yet!
 Despite the 'signature', this just smacks of being Australian!
No offence meant - just your style of humour.
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                     8

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Young Girl - Gary Puckett and the Union Gap

Referring to yesterdays Post, I am in no way suggesting that my return to England a year ago was a 'Life Changing Experience', but today's events certainly are! I have been waiting 'expectantly', if you'll excuse the expression, for news of the arrival of my first and what will be only Granddaughter:- this text was received at 16:15 - "We have a little baby girl! She's so cute and having a nice feed. We've called her Elizabeth Louise. She weighs 6lb 8oz". That is not only 'Life Changing' but also 'Life Beginning' and as well as meeting Elizabeth Louise, hopefully in the near future, I'm simply dying to see the reaction of her 3 brothers Frederick, Alexander and Benjamin. I also look forward to sharing the photographs, as and when they arrive, with this very special 'readership'. Things are really happening here now and it's a promise that this won't be the last 'bombshell' of the week - WATCH THIS SPACE!

Since last Friday very little time has been spent 'in the field' but the Moth Traps have been active every night and we haven't been walking around with our eyes closed either! From the traps over the weekend we have logged a few Insects 'new for the year' (#) and one 'new to the property (*).
 DARK-BARRED TWIN-SPOT CARPET#
 SPRUCE CARPET#
 GREEN CARPET#
 SCORCHED CARPET#
I have been 'on the carpet' a few time during the years at sea, so
this is a nice change.
 PEPPERED MOTH*
additionally we have seen
 BLACK SEXTON BEETLE
and
 COCKCHAFER
(or May Bug our first of the year)
Of note? I once sailed in a small cargo vessel of the same name. 
On Saturday, amid a small influx of common migrant birds, there
was a single
 YELLOW WAGTAIL
flying over the farm as it went.
 COOT
a nest with 9 eggs close to the road at Parley Pond.
The Carrion Crows seem to be keeping a 24 hour watch!
 BEECH
and all other trees are now reaching their best.
 BULLFINCH
are showing daily at the north end of the property,
we are looking for signs of breeding,
 while LINNET already have.
Unusually close to the pathway a photograph was possible 
just in passing with neither parent 'sitting'.
Another Thank You should be extended to John Gifford for assistance with identifications.
Unfortunately, there has been no sight or sound of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but we live in hope that this is because they are incubating eggs and have fallen silent during that period. If indeed they do breed there will certainly be a cacophony from the young jostling for food.
I doubt if the re-appearance of Australia in the Top Ten is anything of a coincidence, given THE HAPPENING of the day. If you are reading this our Very Best Wishes go to ALL the York's, the Australian division of our ever expanding family!
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Tuesday, 29 April 2014

The Shape of Things to Come - Part III

Maybe hard to believe, but today is the first anniversary of my return to England  after a magical 5 months tour of numerous parts of the Americas. Met at Portsmouth Docks by my dear friends Paul and Tess, I stayed with them for a couple of nights and enjoyed the very best of home comings!
If there is any consolation to facing the mundane then I feel lucky to have chosen 3 days of the most foul weather. The wall to wall heavy rain of Sunday followed closely that of Saturday, which was only surpassed by yesterday's deluge conditions, including heavy hail, accompanied by the most ferocious of thunder and lightening storms. So having been confined to barracks for that period it was not much of a hardship having got so much done. A couple more days and most things will be completed, a few more milestones will have been reached? and maybe we'll get back to Live Posts, but for now the third and final visit to Estonia.  
 Took me ages to find the Church,
 but no time at all to locate the
BEER BAR!
From Ennu Farm we present a series of bird species which breed there.
What a place to spend Spring!
 GOLDEN ORIOLE
shame about that wayward branch.
 WRYNECK
 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER
 A sequence of  strange
 WHITE STORK
 behaviour.
 The Kamikaze Kid
 WHITE STORK
nesting.
 THRUSH NIGHTINGALE
 also called 
SPROSSER??
 WHITE WAGTAIL
 TREE PIPIT
 TREE SPARROW
With a little imagination you should be able to picture it, as while
down on Ille's farm I often took to riding a bicycle!
I'll just take a break while you get back on your feet and stop laughing.
On one sunny afternoon it was decided to re-visit the White Stork
nest above, but stopping for a short break this series appeared
before me. I might have run away but was frozen to the spot.
 WILD BOAR
 Three Little Piggies Went to Market!
 Neighbouring Farmers
WOODLARK
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