The Past Couple of Days

First and foremost it would be nice to know just how many of you noticed my
DELIBERATE MISTAKE
on the Young One's Post.
No, they are not Moorhen Chicks but Coot Chicks but have the benifit of
SENILITY
to lean on. Thanks to John Gifford that has now been rectified!
Tuesday arrive with a new species of Moth for the year

 SHOULDER STRIPE

followed by another most welcome return as a

 KINGFISHER

which in the first instance looked likely to be prospecting the now dry banks of the

River Stour 

where they nested last year 

before heading for a favoured perch at the

 Garden Pond

where it immediatelt went into 'fishing' mode 
The Dawn Chorus gets better by the morning but most certainly
not restricted to that time of day as other considered 'returning' birds included this

 Vocal Male

REED BUNTING
 timed at 08:30 at the Irrigation Pond and later joined by a

female
 After the 'slip of the pen' with the 

 COOTs
last time out there has been an increase in the number of youngsters 

at the same location

 to c6
Following suit and in quick succession were
Songsters That Is

BLACKBIRD
 and

GREENFINCH

 The Gorse adorned Island in the Irrigation Pond now has a resident 'sitter'

CANADA GOOSE
surely on eggs

and with the Old Man on patrol
Proportionately most numerous over those 2 days have been

COMMON BUZZARD

which by my counts and estimates

must be in double figures now right across the 
Recording Area
including this rather 'pale' chap!
Unfortunately, there haven't been any what might be called
Proper Migrants

but numbers of 

MISTLE THRUSH
are not only vocal but also enjoying a wealth of provisions within the
Solar Panel Compound
Back to base wasn't the end of it as the first of the year

LARGE WHITE BUTTERFLY
visited the garden during my coffee break
but most of all it has been the succession of

ROOKs

that have surprised me not really considering them a

 Garden Bird

However, surprised I shouldn't be as there is a healtht and long standing 

Rookery not a ¼ of a mile away

which stood at 28 nests last year, but aside from all of that it is their 
walking speed that was a new one on me!
The highest total in the garden has been c17 - not bad!

With the current situation encompassing us all,
with reason the Old Adage has sprung to mind
"It's an Ill Wind that Blows Nobody any Good"
as the Reader Stats continue to rise slowly but on a daily basis!
Prime time it is thought then to issue a
Polite Begging Letter
for you all to pass on the Link to all your adressees et al
For which we thank you in anticipation - CHEERS and stay Safe!

Haiti - The Final Countdown

From a peek around the exit door, before getting the hell out of there,

to a 5 days booking at the Eucalyptus Guest House my 'short' visit to

Port-au-Prince

just seemed to go on and on (as some of you might have already noticed).

Whatever the magnetism that kept me there for a full 18 days is still not quite understood

but Pink Floyd (slightly amended to fit the bill) may have described it thus........

There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
for I had become comfortably numb

Comfortabley Numb - Pink Floyd

 

That last day had been turned over to 2 very kind invitations from those people
found close to me on a daily basis and was most excited about taking a look at
Scott's Heli-pad Project

even though he had advised not to build my hopes too high.

The TEAM
Scott second from left

 and the already flatened area of the 'pad'.
Again we will interspurse these images with some of the wildlife on hand
and starting with the very best as
Striking,

 Diminutive
and

Endemic
BROAD-BILLED TODY

 What these various buildings were designated to  become was not divulged

The next Bird was even smaller as the second smallest on
Planet Earth
VERVAIN HUMMINGBIRD
second only to the
Cuban Bee Hummingbird
which my 2 efforts to see have come to nought and now likely never will?
Yer Never Get 'Em All!

 as this was really just an overall look-see at what was underway.

BLACK and WHITE WARBLER

 TRANSPORT MANAGER

 The Nuptuals Stop for No Man!

YELLOW-FACED GRASSQUIT

 Exotic

BUTTERFLY

SMOOTH-BILLED ANI

BURROWING OWL

Diverted to Luton

BUTTERFLY
The second part was to become something of a
Farewell Party at one of the most Bizzare locations ever seen,
but a fantastic opportunity to show my appreciation of these
beautiful people who had helped, guarded and nurtured me every step of the way!

A fabulous Restaurant cum Beer bar cum Musichall

LIZARD

most of the construction came from materials that might,

in another part of the world, have be thrown away - MAGIC!

PALMCHAT

CRICKET
not surprising really as we were in the Greater Antilles right next door to
The West Indies

HISPANIOLA WOODPECKER

another Butterfly looking every bit like the 'Skippers' we get at home

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT

Introducing the Band 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ4ACcaOBoM

from the album

Dog Man Star by Suede
if you never listern to another record in your life this is a must if ony for the sensational
Brett Anderson vocals and Bernard Butler on lead guitar

That's all that was needed for this man to step up to the microphone!

The Introduced

NUTMEG MANNIKIN

Now who wouldn't want one of those in their Moth Trap?

MONITOR LIZARD

I'd rather have a 'full bottle in front of me'

than a 'full frontal lobotomy'!

PRAIRIE WARBLER

Glasses made from the neck-ends of wine bottle and thier holder from the other
was about as cute as it could get - WONDERFUL!

And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last, just as the time bell rings
"Thank You, Goodnight, now it's time to go home"
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
"We are the Sultans, we are the Sultans of Swing"

Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits