Watcher of the Skies - Genesis

Part II of the May Day saga and initially it was more a case of
LOOK UP
what do you see? 
All of you and all of me florescent and starry some of them,
they surprise the bus ride, I went to write this 4a.m. letter.
Fields of Poppies, little Pearls all the boys and all the girls,
sweet-toothed each one a little scary I said your name.
I wore it like a badge of teenage film stars
hash bars, cherry mash and tinfoil tiaras
Dreaming of Maria Callas whoever she is.
THIS FAME THING, I DON'T GET IT!

Trivia:- E-Bow is an electronic gadget which acts like a Violin Bow only used on a guitar, the sound of which opens this fantastic track, E-Bow The Letter (Link) by REM. The female voice is that of Punk Poet Laureate, Patti Smith she of 'Because the Night' fame!

In quick succession

ROOK
most unexpected as absent for more than 2 weeks now

CORMORANT

 
(3 in fact)
followed by a pair of

SHELDUCK
another pair of which would prove far more cooperative
 
behind Eco latter in the day.
Completing the profitable Aerial Display was this
 
MUTE SWAN

Continuing along the River Stour, another lucky strike as

KINGFISHER
have also been keeping a low profile lately.

The ROBIN 
which is continually trying to nick what few Moths there are

is now sitting on eggs in Janet's Stable neatly tucked away in one of
the horses feeding baskets.
While another 'parent in waiting' and

 with little likelihood of missing out on

MALLARD

this vigilant male was surely the epitome of being

'pinned down'

while guarding his female sat on eggs no more that 30 feet  from the

Garden Pond Moth Trap.

No problem with

BLUE TIT
ever present at the Harbins Bird Table while nearby

 JACKDAW
continued nest building operations.

GREENFINCH
and 

one of the Harbins Garage

SWALLOW
joined the List before something of a deviation to watch a pair of

BROWN HARE

cavorting but no sign of the prenuptial 'boxing' associated with these creatures.
A total of c4 were recorded on the day.

DUNNOCK

 CHIFFCHAFF

and

WHITETHROAT
they all count, and then at the still frosted over meadow known as
First Parley

our 'first of the year'

 WHIMBREL

 There were c7 here and a further c3 behind Eco later in the day.

REED BUNTING
and the first

LADY'S SMOCK
or
CUCKOO FLOWER
if you prefer.

CHAFFINCH
was the penultimate species for this chapter leaving probably the
BEST
until last. It would appear that there are at least c3 individual

CETTI'S WARBLER
now on territory along this beat of the river, one of Dorset's rarest breeding birds.

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A Day at the 'Races' - Queen

Just like a kid on Christmas Eve, it was a night of intermittent sleep but before even 'showing a leg'

 PHEASANT

took pride of place as first on parade,

 and coming in a variety of plumage's this one has been

strutting his stuff locally for a few days now.

 The fluid songs of

 BLACKBIRD

 and

WREN

were heard before springing out of the hammock like the proverbial

Thomson's Gazelle 

and with the door flung wide open

WOOD PIGEON

GREEN WOODPECKER

 GREAT TIT

and

 HOUSE SPARROW

were logged.

As this appeared and making a necessary diversion to the

Moth Traps,

we found among the still meagre pickings 2 species

New for the Year

 MUSLIN MOTH

this specimen being something of a Max Whitlock of Lepidoptera

Beautiful Underparts

 IRON PROMINENT

 along with another

PIED SHIELDBUG

 With 2 of the traps sited close to the banks of the

River Stour

it was no surprise to hear, and later see,

 REED WARBLER

among the Sedge's, but unfortunately search as we did we could find no

Sedge Warbler among the Reeds.

MAGPIE

 BLACK-HEADED GULL

 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER

'If I Had a Hammer'

I'd

Trinidad "Trini" López III

one or two of them.

 COLLARED DOVE

 GOLDFINCH

lots of breeding pairs with the closest nest just outside the door.

 MOORHEN

unusually no signs of breeding, it's getting late.

 BLACKCAP

a good number have arrived, with a few establishing themselves here,

since late April.

 A little thin on the ground at this time of year, so a valued addition of

GREYLAG GOOSE

having said that these 2 have taken to flying close to 

Slight Return II

each morning for the past week so thought "well pinned down"!

CARRION CROW

brought up the final Bird Species for this episode 

but please tune in again tomorrow for 

Part Two it gets Better.

The first of the 4 Mammals noted on the day.

ROE DEER

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