Happy Together - The Turtles

Turtles Link 

One of my all time favourite Pop Songs,

wouldn't mind a quid for every lady I've sung that to!

While the weather continues to be wet, windy and reasonably mild, Moth Trap returns remain lean while Insects are being attracted but all of the same 4 species. The exception to this has been the first

DOR BEETLE

of the year and always worthy of space on these pages.

The traps done it was time for a wander around Parley Pond 

were the first evidence of

MUTE SWAN,

those of last year, were found nest building in exactly the same spot.

 Another first was the emergence of the 'introduced' and now resident

 RED-EARED GIANT TERRAPIN

and not before time an image, or 2, of both

 LITTLE GREBE

Happy Together

While we know nothing about sexing such things, it was interesting to

note the posturing of the bird left. Only a thought, but maybe the

Dominant Male?

Then the first sighting of the 

COASTGUARD HELICOPTER

this year.

The Irrigation Pond and Gravel Pit threw up nothing other than this brace of

BLACK-HEADED GULLs

which, if nothing else, look quite magnificent atop the

Recording Areas only Mountain.

The rest of the day's action was confined to 

Merritown Heath and Wood where the bright Fungi

SCARLET ELF CAP (or CUP)

was noticed.but with much better to come.

 For the 'fourth' time this year

 we have experienced a 3 Woodpecker day, with this showy male

 LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER

 leading the way.

 First located by its 'drumming' while placing the Trail Cameras,

a 'close eye' will now be kept on this area for signs of breeding.

A Spring colour change for the

BOG MYRTLE

before finding another denizen of the local woodland

TREECREEPER

in fact a total of c5 separate individuals

which will surely be breeding hereabouts in the coming days.

 REINDEER LICHEN

 WEASEL

 and before the credits go up, another first for the year

 BRIMSTONE BUTTERFLY
We note the Emerald Isle has JUMPED into the Top Three!
Anything to do with our dear friends Bobby and Beatrice?

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SUMMER 'CRAIC'
as we say down here in Daarsit!

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Stormy Monday - T-Bone Walker

Following on from the extra Post of Monday we can now
report that a second

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER 
They call it Stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad!

The Eagle flies on Friday 

A few days of both wet and windy weather have ensued making it almost impossible to walk the Recording Area and is likely what is keeping most migrant birds at bay? It's on such days that the Strange Rover comes into its own making for not only a dry outing but also serving as an ideal Bird Hide (or 'blind' for you guys across the pond) allowing in some instances close encounters. See previous Post.

When visible SUNSET has coincided with a

 'FULL' MOON RISE
with Jupiter in close attendance but
unfortunately doesn't show on this image.
Moths also have been scarce despite a reasonable rise in
overnight temperatures but there has been

 another new species for 2016

 TWIN-SPOTTED QUAKER
and in the traps at the same time

 A really smart and tiny 'species' of
BEMBIDION BEETLE
thought most likely to be
PUNCTULATUM
along with the Micro Moth

DEORESSARIA DAUCELLA
we still don't do Micros so ID credits should go to

John Gifford for the Beetle and Dave Foot for the latter.
A little late in coming, but we have now finally got round to publishing
these images of a

GOSHAWK

which we very fortunately made contact with some days ago.

Not surprisingly, for such a 'rare' species in Dorset,

it was another addition to the
Year List.

The same has to be said of

YELLOWHAMMER

which showed itself

on the same day.

All birds are now getting into their prime but none more so than

GREAT TIT

and

BLUE TIT

The first of this years
CHAROLAIS CALVES

GREYLAG GEESE

NETTING
now in place over part of the Balancing Pond.

Living in such close proximity to an International Airport
one has to be tolerant of aircraft noise pollution with the exception of
these regular visiting

CHINOOKS
which get right on my Coal, Blue, Great and Long-tailed!

The new CHICKS arrived in the week, a lucky half dozen
saved from the clutches of Mr Heinz.

and we also had a short visit from our friend Dave Foot earlier in the week

who managed to secure these 2 video clips.

In my case it was only luck that allowed brief glimpses of the Woodpecker!

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER

GREY WAGTAIL

TRAIL CAMERAS UPDATE

GREY SQUIRREL

MAGPIES

WOOD PIGEON, PIED WAGTAIL, CARRION CROW

and before we say hasta la vista a couple or 3 images from our friends

Roong and Jean Francois in Thailand 

CRESTED GOSHAWK

in their garden pond,

 ASIAN OPENBILL

with 

GIANT SNAIL

and

ORIENTAL PRATINCOLE

"Oh for one of them on Merritown".

There is something a little uncanny about the combination of the Blog Stats and the continuation of the Bagsy Memoir, Not for the fist time has the start of a new chapter coincided with the appearance of that particular country on the list below. On this occasion it was my first visit to Poland in 2006 and what a memorable visit that was, we will try and dig out a few images as an extra Post in the week. 

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United Kingdom	260
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Canada	9
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Poland	6