Watcher of the Skies - Genesis

Watcher of the Skies - Genesis 
(Live Shepperton Studios 1973) 

Out of step with what has become routine on the days we spend within the bounds of our Recording Area, on Saturday we decided to stray from that particular path of righteousness and spend the last 3 hours of daylight on the Heath. A profitable call from the start as this presumed 'young' (last years brood) male

KESTREL

was highlighted in the bright sunshine

 against an

azure sky.

 The only problem with Saturday's, or any weekend day for that matter,

is that

Flying Officer Kite

and all of his fellow Airmen on on the wing or in this case rotor.

EUROCOPTER EC-120B COLIBRI

 It was noticeable from the moment we entered the Heath via the 5-bar gate

that there a lot more birds flitting about, even compared with our early morning visit, but the

 GREEN WOODPECKER

 (or should we more correctly say one of at least 2 pairs)

contented itself on a preferred feeding patch.

STONECHAT

 have been all but absent over the past few weeks, save for one that

did obligingly put in an appearance on New Year's Day.

 Love those Eyes!

 There must have been close to a dozen on the day.

and still they come

G-TOUR

appears to be a

ROBIN-2112 ALPHA

It was quickly discovered that taking up station close to one of the

AIR QUALITY MONITORING STATIONS

would be an advantage as at least one representative of the species

present used the structure as a 'preening post' prior to going to roost,

 such as

MEADOW PIPIT
While 1 or 2

DARTFORD WARBLER

 have been in evidence during the past couple of days,

numbers had certainly increased to between 6 and 8 that afternoon.

 STONECHAT

 MEADOW PIPIT

DARTFORD WARBLER

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Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

Not being much of a one for TV, oh if only there was the time, it would be fair to say that my occasional dabblings are usually confind to Channel Hoping and then more often than not with nothing to tickle the 'grey-matter'. To the contrary last night when

US Rock Anthems

featured on BBC4 and was thought worthy of a hour or so.
Chronologically presented, rather that an individual selection, the
archetypes were of course Hold the Line - Toto,
I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner, Eye of the Tiger - Survivor et al,
all worthy of merit in their own right but paled against my particular favourites.
Apart from Alice (one of the Top 5 Rock Acts ever enjoyed Live) announcing 'Schools Out'
it was

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

Don't Fear the Reaper 
who were very slightly eclipsed by the sensation 'Grunge' that was

NIRVANA

(Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic)

Smells Like Teen Spirit

BONUS TRACK also NIRVANA

Come As You Are

and

 second only to the version by Lulu!

 The Man Who Sold the World

With overnight temperatures still hovering around +7 to +8°C there was again a winter opportunity to catch a Moth of two. Having put out a second trap there was twice the chance but before attending to then, or even setting foot on terra firma the distinctive song of a

REED BUNTING
 could be heard from what seemed quite a distance away.

 Temporarily forsaking the traps for a while, preferring to add another
species to the Recording Area Year List a fine male bird was located.

 As if somehow trying to hamper my progress, half way to the first trap a

 CETTI'S WARBLER
offered a burst of song making for a second addition.
Moth-wise all that was in the collective traps was a

DOTTED BORDER
making for a hat-trick of 'firsts' and a 

 species of

ICHNEUMON WASP
Our first attempt, early morning, to photograph the c2 newly arrived

CANADA GEESE
on the Gravel Pit came to nought due to the foggy conditions, but

 returning a little later in the morning

 after the Sun had shown its hand

 things were much better.
Also there were c5 male

 GADWALL
along with this female (left)

Not the sort of fare we usually snap at but of interest

 was the leg adornment on the cock
PHEASANT
As far as we know none are ringed in this part of the world.

 On the way back and high in the trees

a party of upward of 50

 SISKIN

only an occasional but most welcome visitor here.
During this short stop it was thought that a

 SKYLARK

was heard, which with a short search was proven and also added to our
Recording Area Year List.

Footnote:- An late afternoon visit to the heath yesterday produced an influx of Stonechat into double figures, well over 100 Meadow Pipit and at least 6 distinctly seperate Dartford Warbler. Images will be posted when time allows.

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I'd Rather Go Blind - Chicken Shack

Well, have to report that my right arm is aching after responding to the SALUTES of all local Surfs and Minions as at 80:00 this morning we took on the mantle of Lord Most High of All He Surveys and To the Manor Born! Roughly speaking, as Hugh, Janet and some of the family jet off to Florida, without me, - boo flippin' hoo! this now puts me fairly and squarely in Full Command and Control of the 

CHICKEN SHACK

I'd Rather Go Blind (Link)

and a mini bonus close to the Coup the first flowering

RED DEAD-NETTLE
With the overnight temperature hovering in the region of +7°C it was though

well worth activating one Moth Trap but seemingly no one had told the Moths.

All we received for our labours was a single

EARWIG
Sad to say that from there things got worse as we arrived for the second time at the

GRAVEL PIT

to see the fog had hardly lifted at all. With the situation thus it was time for an
Executive Decision

and headed off for the 12 miles drive to the village of
Corfe Mullen

in the hope of seeing the half dozen

(BOHEMIAN) WAXWING
that had been there for 2 days.
Arriving at the location and parking it was found from those in attendance
that I had just walked directly beneath the target birds, so quickly rattled off a shot.

Becoming a little more obliging, one did settle on a power cable close by,
before the rest

 hit the Rowan Trees

just across the road.
There was time to admire a blooming

 CAMELIA BUSH

 with still plenty of buds waiting to pop.
Returning to Parley Court Farm and with the fog burnt off by the now
Blazing Sunshine
it was considered worth another look around the Recording Area.
The diversion proved profitable as we found a male

SHOVELER
in full plumage, a pair of

 (female)

 (male)
GADWALL
at the Gravel Pit and c2

GREYLAG GEESE

 in company with a
CANADA GOOSE.

A little video shy, but we got'em

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