The Bagsy Blog

Friday, 23 December 2016

On Golden Pond?

Just when you thought the weather couldn't get any more dreary the Fog sets in yesterday, not being able to see one end of the Gravel Pit from the other, but on the up side it did clear before mid-morning. There was only a 15 minute spell of sunshine throughout the previous day but that quarter of an hour brought its share of delight. When you get tired of 'cloud formations' you might as well wrap your hand in!

Across the Solar Panels

Across the Heath

Sky Mountains

The Traps haven't been returning any Moths either but look

a little closer and you might just detect the odd and tiny

GARDEN SNAIL

and a couple of very good looking

ROVE BEETLES

As water levels get lower and the clatter from Plant gets louder
we would have expected a mass exodus from

PARLEY POND

but not a bit of it.
To start with there has been the return of this years breeding pair of

MUTE SWAN
which haven't been seen for a month or more,

but even then there were only c2 juveniles with them which has now

happily doubled to c4 of the original c7.
It has also uncovered a much younger juvenile

MOORHEN
(left)
than the others still around the pond,
but the GREATEST surprise of all came in the shape of a female

PINTAIL

While our attention was distracted by Family Members also perusing
the goings on at pond side we have some reason for forgetting to video it, but

there is no excuse for not being able to identify this fairly common Duck.
Even with the benefit of what are decent images still we were flummoxed and
sent them off to 'higher authority' for verification. We can only put this down to an abrasion
of the brain which you can easily get away with when you are a septuagenarian!

This is indeed a 'rare' bird here as there has only been a single record
of c5 overflying since recording began, to get one settled is a huge bonus!

The has been something of a downside to these operation
as some Fish have fallen to the pumping such as the odd

PERCH
suspected of existing here but thus far not having been verifies, and

COMMON EEL

Otherwise, and to get all the 'works' out of the way the

BRIDLEWAY on the COMMON

has been resurfaced with loose chippings, while we also seem to have
our first 'settled' flock of about 100

REDWING

which we will be stalking in the hopes of better images in days to come.

Entry	Pageviews
Russia	1275
United Kingdom	380
United States	373
Germany	107
France	29
Estonia	18
China	17
Canada	13
Australia	5
South Korea	5

Wednesday, 21 December 2016

Same Old Story - Rory Gallagher

There has been little change in the weather pattern in recent days with conditions remaining rather dank and dismal but the mild temperatures also continuing. However, while all around us seem to be taking advantage of the unseasonably temperate nights we have secure no more here from the Traps than c5

DECEMBER MOTH

a Moth??

LARVAE

plus the tiniest of

WOOD LICE

We caught the clamour at Parley Pond as our arrival coincided

with that of the Bun Lady. They say this is a daily event when she arrives to jettison yesterdays

'none-sales' of buns and sarnies alike and always resulting in a melee.

Otherwise, it has been a story of same, same up at the ponds

with

TEAL

showing in numbers up to a maximum of c19.

KESTREL

did put in a brief appearance

before we got back to the more usual

GADWALL

the resident

GREY WAGTAIL

and the now ever present 'pair' of

WIGEON

the Missus being a little coy on the day!

CORMORANT
again favouring the Gravel Pit.

On the Heath we were mightily lucky to crack these shots off

GREEN SANDPIPER

and just in time to arrive at the

Sewerage Works Hedge

to capture both the illusive female

BULLFINCH

and a most obliging

FIRECREST

not recorded here for 2 or 3 weeks now.

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Russia	1150 - still up there!
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United Kingdom	363
Germany	108
France	25
China	18
Estonia	18
Canada	14
Spain	6
New Zealand	5

Monday, 19 December 2016

Blashford Part II - Passerines

IN APPRECIATION OF 'COMMON' BIRDS!

The second part of our saunter down to Blashford a couple of days ago with, when the hubbub had ceased and the Birds came nearer, all of these images were taken from the sanctity of the Woodland Hide over a one hour period and presented in the order that they were taken.