What Lies Beneath - Robin Trower

Back nearly 2 years ago now, when gravel was being extracted for 'hard standings' across both the Eco Recycling Depot and the Solar Panel Compounds, apart from the obvious Gravel Pit one or two other locations were also chosen to make up the quantity required. There was a plan to back-fill these excavations but in discussion with Hugh the practicalities for Wildlife were tabled with the idea being immediately dropped. One of these 'pits' is close to what is referred to through these pages as the

IRRIGATION POND
(out of shot bottom right hand corner)

and today looks like this.
Just left to overgrow naturally this short 'cutting' has now become
home for a variety of Plants and Animals.

BROAD-LEAVED POND WEED
among others has established itself.
Here we can show a number of images, all taken on the same day,
which with my eyesight probably only represents a very small proportion  of
 What Lies Beneath.

 BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY

COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY

 COMMON DARTER

 and

 HEDGE WOUNDWORT

 has established itself.

 Both

MALLARD

and

COOT

have also successfully bred here.

SILVER BIRCH CATKINS
close by.

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Because The're Young - Duane Eddy (Part II)

To continue the Young Birds Theme,
from the various Ponds around the Recording Area

"There once was an ugly Duckling with feathers all stubbly and brown

 and all the birds in so many words

 said quack get out of town",
but soon the lucky few will be saying

"I am a (MUTE) SWAN Wheeee"!

CANADA GOOSE GOSLING
and

MALLARD DUCKLINGS
 Meanwhile in the more arid (when it stops raining) areas the

 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER
(despite abandonment of the first nest found in the Solar Panel Compound)

 have had their most successful year to date with a considered
10 or more fledged young.

By comparison

 LAPWING
have been less productive than in previous seasons mainly
due to the fact that not so many adults returned this year.
 However, the story is far more bleak from the Heath
where the situation can be adequately described in a single word
DISASTER 
The records show that that only a single adult Dartford Warbler was 'heard only' throughout
the course of June, and to date NONE have been recorded at all since then. 
Add to that the total absence of Woodlark, c3 sightings of Hobby and a lone
'pair' of nesting Meadow Pipit it has been left very much to the humble 

 STONECHAT

 to make up the numbers.

There again, counts of fledged young have not been record breaking

hardly broaching double figures.

and before you say anything we know we said 'another 'Baker's Dozen'
images/clips but the extra one is for 'good attendance'!

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Because The're Young - Duane Eddy (Part I)

Whenever I'm sad, whenever I'm blue, 

whenever my troubles are heavy. 

Beneath the stars I play my guitar 

just like Eddie!

This song was a record by Heinz (Burt) as a tribute to the late great

Eddie Cochran,

not to be confused with the above, but both Great Guitar Granddaddies
of them all would fit perfectly for either!

KEEP LISTENING FOR 'GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY'.
Some recent sights of young birds around the Recording Area
over the past few days.

For 2 or 3 weeks now this juvenile

 GREY HERON

has been frequenting Parley Pond usually seen just standing sentinel,

but we all know looks can deceive. The betting is that it has taken more

than a fair share of the other young birds at the site!

 ROBIN

have matured over the period from this

 to this, and always ready to pounce on the stray

Large Yellow Underwing Moth

when the opportunity arises.

 While there have only been fleeting glimpses of young

TAWNY OWL

 once again they have favoured the location of the Manor House

and beyond the River Stour for this years procreation.

 Of all the Birds that breed within the Recording Area there are 2 Species

that do far better than all the others.

 PIED WAGTAIL

is one while

 GREENFINCH

is most certainly the other.

WE WILL BRING YOU A FURTHER BAKER'S DOZEN

ON THE SAME THEME MANANA!

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Straight Down the Middle - Bing Crosby

It is as long ago as Early Spring since most of the following images were taken, with a view to highlighting the progress being made on the new 9 holds of the Parley Court Golf Course. Not only of great benefit to the Golfers, but also with the potential of attracting Wildlife of all kinds.

The exception being just a few photos from last nights take from the

Moth Traps.

In fact we didn't even have to broach the first trap to secure the

first 2 Species, which were Firsts for the Year, and just

perched in the vicinity.

 PEBBLE HOOK-TIP

 and worthy of a good look all round

 the perfectly named

 CANARY-SHOULDERED THORN

Also of interest we secured our second

 RIVULET

 and ditto for a great personal favourite

 HERALD

as is usual there were other Insects/Creatures to contend with such as

 one of the 15 Species of 

GREEN LACEWING

 that may be found across the UK

CHRYSOPA PERLA

 BLACK SLUG

with the question posed being "however does such a thing get into a trap"?

It was all of 6 inches long and an inch round one of the biggest we have seen.

The open Fairways have already seen up to c10

EGYPTIAN GEESE

while Ian the Green Keeper might not be so welcoming if they stray
onto his precious 'greens'.

There are a number of small but attractive watercourses throughout

which, we are told, should be 'lined' to provide Water for Wildlife
throughout the seasons.

Already visited by

LITTLE EGRET

FAIRWAY

The surrounding areas are also conducive as these

Woodland Rides
already support the likes of

NUTHATCH
and

 TREECREEPER
while the extremely 'scarce'

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER

has also been recorded hereabouts.
Not exactly a Forrest

but certainly enough woodland to support a number of our
Breeding Warblers and other Passerines.

More Water

where on that particular day a pair of prospecting

SHELDUCK
were spotted.

This ditch, which is also earmarked to remain in place,
had been the winter feeding ground for this pair of 'not ringed'

MUTE SWAN
which have subsequently bred there.

Dragon and Damselflies

have also taken up residence here

and that looks every bit like the Strange Rover in the distance.

Early Spring and

WHEATEAR
were quick to take advantage of these wide-open areas as the
Borough Council
set about screening this section of hedgerow to deter birds from nesting.

As the new access road to the Sewerage Works is planned for this area
there was the foresight to rig netting as the hedge has now been grubbed out,
without loss of Avian Life!

All of the common species enjoy what is the relative tranquility here.

CHAFFINCH

Dotted here and there are the small but mature Ponds and

Out Buildings

and even the now redundant Game Crop has been left as both
cover and food supply.

These were the first
BLUEBELLS

and

SELFHEAL
but that is going back quite a while now!

and ever present and watchful for an easy meal the local

SPARROWHAWK
Programmed to open in September,
we hope to bring you further updates from this area as time goes by.

Straight Down the Middle Link
Penultimately, a joke which must be read in a Scottish accent!
What is the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney?

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Bing Sings and Walt Dis'nae!