Bo Weevil - Fats Domino

If you you don't like Moaning, and/or Groaning, avert your gaze now! Yesterday will go down in the annals as 'Blank Saturday' the dullest day we have ever experienced since our first visit to Parley Court Farm in 2006. Not even an 'occasional' such as Raven or Mediterranean Gull, we only 'heard' a Buzzard with the estimated total of Finches being little more than 30, but enough of that, it's another day! The Moth Traps were collected bu 06:30 but at first glance there seemed to little inside, not even Wasps, but either way there would be a short wait until our friend Dave Foot arrived.

 Even then the

 HOUSE SPARROWs

 were gathering and overlook them at your peril, fine little things!

 while down at Parley Pond there was both

SWALLOW

and

House Martin with the latter disappearing long before my arrival.

GREY HERON

however proved a little bolder and allowed a couple of shots before

Dave's arrival and we got straight on with the traps,

 At least we secured an addition to the Year List

 CENTRE-BARRED SALLOW

along with
SMALL DUSTY WAVE

 

 TURNIP MOTH

 along with a second for the year

LUNAR UNDERWING
all else included this

 BLACK VINE WEEVIL
which came to an untimely end.
Any Egret at the moment sends the heart into flutter but we could make
no more of a 'fly-over' than

LITTLE EGRET

A cursory look at both Ponds found c2

GREEN SANDPIPER
having returned to the Gravel Pit and this

KESTREL
'on camera'
before moving on to Merritown.

LONG-TAILED TIT

are now there in foraging flocks along with a decent array of
BUTTERFLIES
including

 SMALL TORTOISESHELL

 

 BROWN ARGUS
and

 SMALL COPPER

The large
GRASS SNAKE
in the middle of the Heath was of interest to Dave, so is included again here,
before entering

MERRITOWN WOOD

 complete with Trug to try our hand at some early
Fungi Foraging.

 GALLS on OAK

 A more unusual Gall on Oak

MILK CAP (type)

TAWNY GRISETTE

BAY BOLETE

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Creep - Radiohead

As the 'perennial fatalist' I have, since meeting him, stuck by the favoured party-line of my old shipmate from Stena Hunter Oil Rig days, Alan (Lord Bute) Gibbs,

"WHAT'S FOR YER, WON'T GO BY YER" 

It is certain that the greatest quirk of fate that ever befell me was being dragged, screaming and shouting, from my beloved home in Nottingham by my parent wishing to live in Weymouth during my Grandfather's closing years. This in turn led to the second best twist as settled in my new home (coincidentally Nottington just out side of Weymouth) I got a job washing dishes, emptying bins etc at Fortes Restaurant in the town which is now the JD Wetherspoon house The William Henry. Handing the 'dosh' over to Mum, she would allow me a shilling which was readily invested in a toffee apple and a bottle of pop which would be enjoyed sat on the parapet of Westham Bridge. In those days the site was one of the town's centre's of attraction with the huge Fun Fare and an uncountable number of Public Houses, and from that lofty perch all that could be seen was a 'Sea of White Hats'! We had far more Warships in those days and with all Royal Navy Sailors duty bound to wear the uniform while on shore leave it certainly brought a lot of yo-ho-ho to the Borough. Watch and Learn as I did, there would always be more than one Matelot with a bottle of rum stuffed down the front of his tunic, probably a few less rolling about on the ground knocking ten bells out of each other and a real Jack the Lad with a girl on each arm, which got me to thinking

'I COULD DO THAT'!

So, exactly 54 years to this day I did and became

Junior Seaman Paul F Baker P/063428 of

HM Royal Navy

but soon to be re-christened Bagsy.

What would have become of me without that foundation
will never be known, but it wouldn't have been good, and
who'd have thought that one day I might be a

VENEZUELAN SEA LORD

Fortuitous then that occasion could be celebrated with the lovely Lyn, who is here on a short break, and for whom I prepared dinner lat night. Gresham duck breast with a (wait for it Janet as I know this will make you laugh) 'medley' of vegetables and a bottle of

 Grand Vin de Leoville

du Marquis Las Cases 1983
(It is said that you 'charm' a Lady through her ears,
and 'charm' a Man through his ego - a fine example this!)

with

Jimi looking on!
There was also. of course, a fine selection of music including
The Division Bell - Pink Floyd
Big Calm - Morcheeba
Page and Plant - Unledded
along with today's headline

When you were here before, couldn't look you in the eye.

You're just like an angel, your skin makes me cry.

You float like a feather, in a beautiful world.

And I wish I was special, you're so very special, but I'm a

Creep - Radiohead LINK

A slightly warmer night and a bit of a Guard and Steerage saw a much improved catch of Moths, although higher numbers didn't lead to scarcer subjects.

 To find colour and shade diversity within a Species

 you need look no further than

 BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING

 which all of these first 4 are.

 LIGHT EMERALD

 ROSY RUSTIC

along with a couple of very obliging Insects

 SILVER Y

and

 HEDGE RUSTIC

while representing the Micros

 GARDEN PEBBLE

and other Insects the striking

 SOLDIER FLY

CHLOROMYA FORMOSA

While we rarely or if ever observe Visible Bird Migration here as
they do from more coastal sites, there was this morning what might be
described as dispersal. 

Featuring a good but uncountable number of

SISKIN
which were adequately backed-up by a few of both

CANADA GEESE
and

GREYLAG GEESE

both having been completely absent from the property for months know.

Also notably increasing in numbers today, but far less welcome, the

MAGPIE
and

JAY
are also back mob-handed.
Otherwise things were very quiet especially on Merritown

where only

YARROW

a 'possible' example of

HYGROCYBE PUNICEA
and this

BADGER DROPPING
thought unusual as from a usually scrupulous creature that digs a latrine.
(which some might say adequately matches the ramblings issued in this chronicle)

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