Lord of the Backstage - Marillion

With the Moth Traps still dotted around Parley Court Farm and burning brightly, there is reason to visit on a daily basis and be invited back to dinner on occasion. Having said that, it ain't all Beer 'n' Skittles as tomorrow I once again take the reins of Lord of the Manor as the Dampney's head off to enjoy themselves without me! Badminton Horse Trails tomorrow followed by Southampton FC's final game of the current football season as they host Manchester United at St Mary's, while all that time I will be keeping the dogs under control and seeing to the odd Airport Parker -It's Hell!

However, I too am getting a little help  at the traps these mornings

as this cheeky ROBIN pops down to steal the odd insect.
It seems to have no fear and does, from time to time, land inside
trap but so quick is the visit I have been unable to capture an
image of the event. Within, there have been

 OAK NYCTEOLINE

an unusually mark an fine example of this most variable 

Moth according to my peers!

 LEAST BLACK ARCHES*

 COMMON PUG*,
both new to the Property List,

 A much better example of

SANDY CARPET

and say it myself, a better image.

 BLOOD-VEIN#
a year Tick.

Clepsis spectrana
CYCLAMEN TORTRIX
which caused some consternation and finally being identified by the
County Entomologist Phil Sterling

Parley Pond has also seen some action since my departure with

c2 pairs of

TUFTED DUCK

looking every bit as though they intend breding here.
There was just a single sighting of a 'duckling' last year so young
it would not have been able to propel itself here.

and while my time here has been limited in recent days I had, thus far,

completely overlooked this 'sitting'

MUTE SWAN

The local predators, including Grey Heron, Carrion Crow, Pike and
Terrapin have taken their toll, a few

MALLARD DUCKLINGS survive.

FUNGI Sp?

SONG THRUSH
also nesting close by.

Patrolling the northern quarter of the Farm yesterday it was great
to see Greg's, the adjoining farmer, fine herd of

CHAROLAIS
What sounded every bit like a Merlin Engine could, it was thought,
only to be coming from a Spitfire or Hawker Hurricane, but on both
counts I was wrong. 

The very distant aircraft, against a leaden sky, also looked as if it could be either,

but processing and enlarging these images it proved to have origins
from the other side of The Pond - Livery of the US Airforce.
I have no idea of the aircraft's identity but I bet there's someone out
there who does - ay Roy?

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Family Affair - Sly and the Family Stone

Another night of occasional but heavy showers, not conducive with Mothing, but nonetheless a couple of items of interest. For the rest of the day I have been confined once again to the mundane, but as most things do, the strings now look like they are being pulled together? Away from the less interesting and seemingly flying in the face of latest statistics relating to decline in certain species of birds, today we recorded our 10th separate and distinct Cuckoo - let's hope numbers are on the increase!

These lovely people are the

 CONWAY FAMILY

(l to r Shannon, Faye, Noel and Leo front)
from Northampton.

It was my luck that they were close by when monitoring the Moth Traps this morning, and more particularly showing genuine interest and enthusiasm at the content. Leo had just returned from a Cub Scout Camp on Brownsea Island (where that organisation was first begun), returning with tales of Red Squirrel, Peacock, old Oak Trees etc so a budding Moth'er if ever I saw one!

FROM THE TRAPS

 COMMON WAVE#

 KNOT GRASS

 SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER
my personal favourite name of all the Moths.

 HEBREW CHARACTER and SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER
for comparison.
As I understand it, and not wishing to sound anything like an 'expert',
the name of both of these Insects derives from a letter of the Hebrew
alphabet. 'Staceous', they tell me, relates to 'bristley'. 

 LIME-SPECK PUG

The Micro
EUDONIA ANGUSTEA
also in a Trap

 7-SPOT LADYBIRD

LARGE GARDEN BUMBLEBEE (worker)
Will have to check, but believe this to be the 7th or 8th species of
Large Bee which seem to be happy coming to 'light'!

 Cricotopus Sp MIDGE

Spent some of the day just wandering the Open Spaces of 

East Dorset to find,

 COMMON STORKSBILL

 CREEPING BUTTERCUP

 GREEN-VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY (male)

A passing
HERRING GULL
looked iridescent in the bright sunshine.

 COMMON WHITETHROAT

 lots of these in the hedgerows now!

 GERMANDER SPEEDWELL

 While one parent COOT patrols the Sea-Ways

 the other gets the nest in order for the Big Day.
PS - they have already been 'at it'.

 Passing Airliner looked good in a clear blue sky.

 PERENNIAL SOW-THISTLE

 Just lucky to 'snap' this
SEA VIXEN

 as it took off from Bournemouth International Airport

 WESTERN GORSE

For the interest of the Moth'ers amongst us.

CLOUDED-BORDERED BRINDLE

 (dark morph)

from one of my mentors,

and also from a Regular Reader a couple of smashing shots of

creature which are 'naturalised' here in Dorset.

 WALL LIZARD

note the amazing skin colouration.

 EDIBLE FROG

looks good enough to eat!

While from much further afield I had the great pleasure of an E-Mail
from my friend

VICKY CHENG

 in Taiwan

who tells me she is now a fully qualified Tourist/Nature Guide covering

the tiny acreage of her own country, mainland China and Mongolia.

What about that for a Local Patch!!

and finally from John Gifford, who I might just add has contributed to a number of the identification on this Post, a Global Warning!

Hi Paul

I have attached some info on an, as yet unwanted, alien visitor to our shores, Asian Hornet, has moved across parts of Europe, Spain, Portugal and France, it kills Honeybees, and it's sting has caused 6 deaths in humans, and as you are always out and about, well at present anyway, I feel you are the sort of person who needs to be on the look-out for this nasty little critter.

Asian Hornet Warning Link

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