Tuesday, 17 May 2016

Holy Diver - Dio (Ronnie James Dio)

With Hugh and Janet having gallivanted off to the South of France, leaving me in sole charge as Lord Lieutenant of the Chicken Coup, there were also other responsibilities to undertake! With heavily pregnant
 BELTED GALLOWAY # 18
 due any day now, other duties in the immediate future involve
Daytime Maternity Watch
and when the waters break Midwife Number Two!
Otherwise, with overnight temperatures hardly increasing at all, we consider
ourselves very lucky to get any Moths at all let alone
 our first 'Hawk' of the year
LIME HAWK-MOTH
This was followed by just one other addition to the Year List
BRIGHT-LINE BROWN-EYE
 with a couple of decent size other Insects of interest.

GREAT DIVING BEETLE
 and the 'first' but unlikely the last
COCKCHAFER
or May Bug if you prefer.
The Moth Traps completed it was decided on just a mini-rounds of our
Recording Area
before scooting off a little further afield.
Our New Neighbours, right outside of
Slight Return II
and joining the likes of Goldfinch, House Sparrow and Greenfinch
nesting right outside the door.

 WOOD PIGEON
and
BLACKBIRD
A quick look from Chapel Lane to note developments at the soon to be
Aircraft Black Box Recorder Factory
they are doing very well!
Unusual for the Irrigation Pond which has never been proven to hold any Fish
a virtually static
GREY HERON
never was able to resist the song of a 
ROBIN
and now having moved in mob-handed
c45
JACKDAW
followed by something of a marathon drive for me, the
full 15 minutes over to
Longham Lake where after passing the
GREYLAG GEESE
 a 'first for the year'
 in fact a probable 4
 but both flighty and rangy it was difficult to tell.
 COMMON SANDPIPER
CONTENTED CATTLE
 LITTLE EGRET
If for no other reason, as we have never recorded
 GREAT CRESTED GREBE
on our patch, worth the visit for this bird alone.
Getting a little overborne with
GREY HERON
we just couldn't resist the pose.
 COMMON SWIFT
also an addition.
Last, but not least, this aberrant looking
CANADA GOOSE
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Sunday, 15 May 2016

When I'm Cleaning Windows - George Formby

With the wind determined to cling to the northern quadrant, accompanied occasionally by sometimes heavy rain showers and overnight temperatures falling to unseasonable 'single figures',(a ground frost this morning) it's not surprising that things have slowed down. However, despite all of that there have been a few migrant Insects to capture the imagination starting with
 GEM
 a handful of
 SILVER Y
 along with a itinerant
 RED ADMIRAL
other new Moths for the Year have included
 BLOOD-VEIN
 COMMON WAVE
OAK-TREE PUG
 At Parley Pond-side the Mute Swan is still 'sitting' but appeared to
have jettisoned one of her eggs.
On closer inspection it was considered all to small to be one from
a Mute clutch, so may have been laid by one of the tame Geese?
Titivating the Nest.
MOORHEN
 carrying out morning domestics.
FEMALE MALLARD
also still 'sitting' at the side of the Harbins garden pond,
 while one of the local
PHEASANTS
may have been predated??
Behind the Eco Recycling Works
 at least c3
 WHIMBREL
remain contentedly feeding but occasionally a
Little Flighty.
 Female CHAFFINCH
for no other reason than she was there!
In the Solar Panel Compound we may have found the most likely site for the
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER NEST
also a ???? but all the right traits.
Finally, this was considered extremely novel.
After their recent appearance at the 
PETRONAS TOWERS
and the
LONDON SHARD
the Window Cleaners turned up yesterday with 250,000 panels to
clean which is only the 'first phase' of the full contract.
We are reliably informed that such an endeavour has the effect of increasing production by 14%
THAT'S A LOT OF ELECTRICKERY!
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