Cloak and Dagger - Black Sabbath

Well, it would seem we (I) made a right klutz of the Scarce Footman on the previous Post. As a new species to myself as well as the property I sort guidance from both Skinner and Clancy along with a little outside help. All said that this Moth is wide-spread and common so why the hell did I tell you it was 'scarce'? Maybe it was something to do with the name Scarce Footman!

Referring back to that same addition to the list 2 days ago, today's contribution was discovered in a similar way but instead of being the very last Moth caught this morning

 CLOAKED CARPET

was the very first found clinging to a nearby fence post. Now, if
I've got this correct it is a 'scarce Insect with less that 200 records for
the county of Dorset and a most welcome addition to the
Parley Court and my own Personal Moth List.

Others in the traps included

GREY DAGGER (type)
another difficult Moth to identify visually.

JULY HIGHFLYER

BORDERED PUG

DUSKY BROCADE

BROWN-TAIL

DINGY FOOTMAN
and

CLAY
In addition a perfectly healthy and typical

FLESH FLY
was caught which has been posted on the Blog before, but

compare it with this which is exactly the same Insect and you could
be forgive for being baffled.
This hapless creature along with many many more found dead or
dying in various traps has been effected by the
Entomophthora muscae Fungus deadly to all Diptera (Flies).
John Gifford is thanked for his knowledge of the subject.

WHIRLY-GIG BEETLE
On this morning's continuing search to log all the plants on the Farm

BROAD-LEAFED DOCK

LADIES BEDSTRAW

CREEPING THISTLE

GREATER BIRD'S-FOOT TREFOIL
were found before this

COMMON SHREW
attracted my attention, found dead on the path.

Young

PIED WAGTAIL
are now feeding from most of the grassy areas while this

BROWN HARE

was flushed from one of the fields.

 SCARCE CHASER
is now on the wing along the River Stour and Parley Pond,

 all 3 ALPACAS have recently been shorn, a mammoth task

holding them down I am told and it was considered this
short series of mating

BANDED DEMOISELLE
would be of interest.
First, find a female perched on the grass and grab her by the
scruff of the neck.

Then gently position yourself into a

Lover's Heart

then with a lot of fluttering get on with the business in hand!

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Watcher of the Skies - Genesis

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
  and my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
and the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

 This was the picture of rain bearing clouds looking into the sunset yesterday, and as the temperature had also dropped quite a few degree before this all didn't look to good for a good catch from the Moth Traps? However, someone did once say to me "I have had some of my best catches on rainy nights" so all was not lost and at dawn that proved to be the case. New for the year were

 DRINKER

 a creature that puts me in mind of a Mole.

 The extremely striking
BLACK ARCHES

 despite the name
EARLY THORN
(better late than never)

 a close relative

 PURPLE THORN

 what we are going to call for simplicity
EAR MOTH
as this small family group would need close examination of genitalia
to be 100% accurate.

Bearing in mind I am still a short-lived returning novice to the game, I did submit a claim of a far rarer Moth during the week, only to be told I had got it wrong - great learning curve. It was then with complete astonishment that having emptied all of the 5 traps there perched on the outside of the last was the misidentified Insect for certain.

 Just on posture alone, quite different from the Buff Footman I
had previously submitted, this was a far better candidate for

 SCARCE FOOTMAN
In Dorset only a rare/scarce migrant while in other parts of the
South there are small but infrequent pockets.

 SCARCE FOOTMAN (left and top below) with COMMON FOOTMAN
for comparison.

While I don't wish to sound like the Royal Lepidopterist, recent teaching has shown that one indicator of difference is the continuous buff/yellow line on the leading edge of the fore-wing. Even better is the afore mentioned posture, with Scarce almost 'rolling' its wings close and tightly to the body.

While I know there are some who have little or no interest in Moths, I really have the urge to share with the readership the diversity of colour across a single species, one which is definitely up there among my favourites.

 Four distinct morph/shades of

 BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING

 I look at these and think they could have been designed by a
Chinese/Japaneses Artist

or found in a Pharaoh's Tomb!
Moral = never act on scant information!

 During the wander what has now become a daily routine for the
flock of 500+, mainly juvenile, STARLINGs the
Mobile Picnic.

At this time of year grassy areas everywhere are ram-jam full of Larvae and Insects, so why then do these birds have to squabble over just about every single mouthful? The only thing to drown out their chattering was the dull throb of a four engined

HERCULES TRANSPORT

I always feel there is something 'sinister' about an 'un-badged' Military Aircraft, and as the mood seemed to change and the local Swallows and Pied Wagtails started a cacophony of 'alarm calls' it was safe to assume that the Hurc was not the only menacing thing on the wing!

 A

 Watcher of the Skies
(Genesis)

 was circling intent on an early breakfast.
Like - a Lightning Bolt that fees the sky for you,
yet only Eagles seem to pass on through - it was onto one of the

 hapless youngsters in the blink of an eye!

 Characteristic of any

 SPARROWHAWK

 with recently caught prey it shielded the Starling with its wings
then spotting me it took to the wing with its next meal still squawking away.

I followed it onto the 5th Fairway where once again it took to 

the wing and disappeared into the Oak Wood.

All else on the wing today included a

 HAWKER TYPHOON

Single Seater Fighter Bomber,
 known as TIFFY in Royal Air Force slang,
being put through its paces and 'local resident'

Golf - Charlie Tango Charlie Foxtrot
a DIAMOND DA42 TWIN STAR
a Resident at Bournemouth International Airport.

A little research can be dangerous Roy, do hope I have these right??

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