Sunday, 13 September 2015

All Things Must Pass - George Harrison

An apt headline today as the daylight hours of Saturday 'passed' without a whimper of Wildlife, the evening 'passed' all too quickly when Lyn joined me at Slight Return II for dinner, while my tenure as 218th in line for the Peerage of Parley will 'pass' into oblivion at 21:00 tonight when Hugh and Janet return from Siberia.
For what it's worth the traps yesterday produced little more than
 OAK HOOK-TIP
and
 OAK NYCTEOLINE
After which it was left to those at the
to provide the rest of the days action.
At these events, which are GB recognised
all competitors and their trusty steeds
show up in the very best of attire 
but on the day there was one Young Lady who
Outshone Them All!
This series of short video clips tell the rest of the story.
It was also a great pleasure to have a Lady at my dinner table
where Lyn and I enjoyed some good food (say it myself I shouldn't),
more than enough Fine Wine and my own selection of music for our entertainment.
Kicking off with the sensational and not exactly displeasing to the eye
(Note - Jools Holland cannot keep his eyes off of her!)
followed by the remarkable vocal presentation of
The musical highlight of the evening was to be the full rendition of
what has to be one of the most exciting concerts ever staged at 
The Royal Albert Hall
If you decide to embark on the 'full concert' you will need to set aside
2½ hours but, like last night the sound of Sitars quickly becomes overbearing,
so 'click' on one hour and start with Monty Python.
BEWARE - you will not want to turn it off!
For those who would just prefer a 'taster' this is my preferred track
Clapton and Marc Mann (flat black cap) on lead guitars at their level best.
Beware of Darkness
Our mutually enjoyable evening ended close to midnight with unarguably
the BEST SAXOPHONE BREAK
in the whole of
Rock 'n' Roll
Will You - Hazel O'Connor (feat Wesley McGoogan - Saxophone)
From this morning's Moth Traps little more than one variation of
HARLEQUIN LADYBIRD

followed by a second.
Also variable in colour the
SPIDER
ARANEUS DIADEMATUS
The second
and more obliging
SOUTHERN HAWKER
DRAGONFLY
in as many days and a
LARVAE
which is still in the identification stage.
and were it not for an equally obliging
RUSSULA SILVESTRIS
and
COMMON BUZZARD
it would have been another
Blank Day!
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Friday, 11 September 2015

Merlin's Time - Al Stewart

The 'desperation' of recent days continues and while we have made every effort to bring at least 'something' to the table it looks as though we are going to have to 'seek' a little harder. While it would be easy just to cast yesterday off as a Duff Day, there is always/usually something to catch the eye which in that case were again the huge numbers of Hirundines clinging to the telephone wires. This time it was the turn of
 HOUSE MARTIN
to be most numerous, with just a few Swallow and no Sand Martin seen,
 but how do they know that exact moment when the camera shutter is depressed?
The second and only other item of the day didn't appear on our Radar
until an 06:00 text this morning from Adrian the Farm Manager simply asking
"what is this"?
 As usual, he had the foresight to take a photograph from which it can be seen as a
CLIFDEN NONPAREIL
a 'scarce' and 'beautiful' Moth to say the very least.
Regular Readers will no doubt remember our own success in catching
this particular specimen (shown for fuller illustration) on 28/09/2015,
while reports also this morning point to others at West Bexington (Dave Foot)
where they have chosen to use the alternative vernacular name of
Blue Underwing.
So, onward to our own findings of the day where the very last Insect 
out of the 5 Moth Traps takes First and Pride of Place.
 WHITE-SPECK
qualifies not only as the 300th species of Macro Moth for the
Recording Area this year but also
the first of its kind to be taken!
It is also the 39th species this year to be added to the same list which now totals
423
In addition we caught
 
 SALLOW
 LUNAR UNDERWING
and
 BORDERED BEAUTY
while other Insects were represented by a
 BURYING BEETLE
of which it is said can sense a dead carcass (food) at a distance of 
Six Miles
and always worth a look underneath for Parasites, this
Beetle is still alive!
However, most unexpected (except for the 'Lifer')
 somehow a
 SOUTHERN HAWKER
 DRAGONFLY
was caught up in the mix!
On the usual circuit once again today there was no sign of either
LITTLE OWL
which brings up the 16th day of absence? while on the
Gravel Pit it appeared that the former brood of c14
 MALLARD
 has now been reduced to just 2?
 GREENFINCH
both juvenile and adult still abound while in the Heath this
 Unidentified Fungi, 
with likely some strange Latin name, was found first.
No good for someone who cannot even speak Engrish Ploppery!
For the same someone, who up until 2015 hadn't knowingly seen a
 SMOOTH SNAKE
in his life, this 'new one' now brings up my 16th - not bad eh!
On the airport the first steel reinforcing,
 for the proposed Electrical Components Factory, is being erected
while on the way back what was though to be the same 
 MERLIN
of a week ago cut across the path, again without any photographic evidence.
That first occurrence was considered 'early', but since then, from various
other parts of Dorset, there have been others.
Europe's smallest Bird of Prey isn't easy to catch up with on camera
so a couple of images here from the Oil Rig 'Buchan Alpha' back in 2006.
In both cases the 'prey species' is
REDWING.
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Wednesday, 9 September 2015

Desperately Seeking Something

in fact anything, as once again it has been something of a lack lustre day although what news we have is GOOD. Starting with the return of the 
 ST-RANGE ROVER,
which at least I am able to get in to, is back in working order.
Next a new Moth for the Year
 FEATHERED GOTHIC
 which brings the 2015 total of Macros to 299, what will bring up the
3 x TON?
SCARCE BORDERED STRAW
 is 'scarce' here so good to get a 'second' in as many weeks.
 VESTAL
is frequent but one which we cannot resist the temptation of.
 All too infrequent here this year
GARDEN CARPET
so good to see a return along with
 YELLOW BELLE
 PIED WAGTAIL
 are now showing up daily on Harbins lawn and Tennis Court,
 while in the Solar Panel Compound the young
ROE DEER
has grown considerably since our encounter at birth.
The back-filling of the Balancing Pond with good quality top-soil 
continues which is thought will hold the root-stock of the
proposed Reed and other Waterside Plants.
At the eastern end little has changed but still considered to bode well
for any passing Waterfowl, Waders and the like after completion?
With so little on offer then, it might be good fortune that 
Dave Foot 
sent us 3 of his Micro Moth photographs from a little further afield.
Clavigesta purdeyi
from Weymouth, Dorset
Tebenna micalis
Caught at West Bexington, Dorset
Dichrorampha acuminatana
also from Weymouth, Dorset
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