The Bagsy Blog

Thursday, 5 November 2020

Swan Lake - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Sharp contrast in weather conditions yesterday as we woke to a clear blue sky, no wind and perfect visibility, but the bottom had fallen out of the temperature, which was still at zero and a degree lower on the Heath. However, it was that squeeling piglet (or multipuls thereof) emitting from the banks of

the River Stour that needed investigating which turned out, as expected, to be c2 singing but unseen

WATER RAILs

(image from the archive for illustration).

Two reasons to stop on the way back to pick up the kit, to stand a stare at the Autumnal

ASH TREES
at the stables, bearing fruit and attracting

GOLDFINCH
among others, and while our numbers compare nowhere near to those of the many 'hundreds' at the likes of Portland Bill and other coastal Headlands, we secondly tried a

WOOD PIGEON
count which totalled 59 if you don't include our local pair which are still unbeleivably

sitting on a nest. While we know they can and do breed during every month of the year
in Great Britain somehow it still seems a little odd.

A first Autumn frost but surely not the last time

we will experience this before years end.
Passing the main pond there were 3 new arrival Mute Swans of no photographic value whatsoever as scattered to the four corners. However, with the 4 adults still at the Irrigation Pond and these 4

new arrival juveniles on the

Gravel Pit

we had already reach the highest day count of the year and the family of 7 still a prospect along the Moors River.

There were also 2 males and a female

TEAL

Obligingly the Swans remained, making for c18 while taking the opportunity of clocking the new

CHAROLAISE CALVES
in the process. During the rainy season the Heath has been devoid of any visible life at all, but the clear blue sky and an increase to +10°C had coaxed a single

and vocal

DARTFORD WARBLER

from cover along with a

ditto but silent

STONECHAT
we decided to take the lead from the Genesis classic "I Know What I Like in Your Wardrobe" lyric
It's one o'clock and time for lunch, dum de dum de dum.
When the sun beats down and I lie on the bench I can always hear them talk, cus me I'm just a lawnmower you can tell me by the way I walk - keep them mowing blades sharp!
Until hearing this from the depths of the Old Apple Tree and stopping dead in our tracks!

The first

Autumn / Winter 2020

FIELDFARE

only a single for now but

surely many, many more to come!

Wednesday, 4 November 2020

Kashmir - Page and Plant

At 04:30 precisly yesterday morning there was a mixed rain and hail squal of Biblical proportions centered over Slight Return II. This knocked the power out, which seems to only have effected my caravan with the rest of the farmstead uneffected. With no clue concerning such things as Electrickery it took most of the day to resolve the problem hence the lack of Post. We hope this will be the last of it as we embark on the catching up process and thank you for your patience and continued support! We hope to have the second instalment of the Longham visit tacked together for tomorrow's Post!

4 ZERO's here this morning, Zero Wind, Zero Rain, Zero Cloud Cover and Zero Moth Traps but at least the electric is back on. Additonally there was someting of a bonus connected to our absence, the 'hits' regester went sky high due we would imagine to our persistant and valued readers checking time and time again. There's a moral to that "no Post more Hits - Winter Draws On!

Despite the inclement conditions across both days of the weekend we find it impossible not to put in at least a token effort using the not always trusty Strange Rover as a bird hide. This has also lead to a bit of cheating as, with just a single excepting, not a shot attached was fired from the Canon.

Seemingly the Gulls had also had enough of the weather as well as they predominated, streaming inland at a constant trickle with most numerous being

HERRING GULL

in varying stages of plumage along with nearly as many

BLACK-HEADED GULLs
without so much of a yelp from a Mediterranean Gull or for that matter an extreme rarity here

COMMON GULL
there have been but c3 records over our 14 years in attendance.
Also from the sanctuary of the door step and flitting through the trees a number of

COAL TIT
along with singles of

GREEN WOODPECKER
and a

LITTLE EGRET
flying west along the course of the River Stour.
A relatively short weather window mid-morning allowed a look through the Moth Traps to be surprised that the were any Insects at all, but........

best of the very small bunch, dependant on your definition of the word Best were
c2 MERVIELLE du JOUR bringing the annual total to 46

SILVER Y

along with FEATHERED THORN
and another c2

VAPOURER
Birds on the Heath included

a decent gathering of

SISKIN

GOLDCREST

the ever reliable

MEADOW PIPIT
Apart from the still c4 Mute Swans the ponds have shown poor returns in recent days so the lone

GADWALL
was of no surprise

along with a

PIED WAGTAIL

while next a presumed recently arrive bunch of

6 or seven

CHIFFCHAFF
maybe the harbingers of the winter flock we usually enjoy along the
Sewerage Works Fence-line, along with a

DUNNOCK
An afternoon lull coincided with my return to

Slight Return II (ref Jimi Hendrix) and the arrival of
'My Man'
come to scrub the Ship's Side and what a job he did - a certain contender to be my next Boatswain!
Next on the list, while I sat there helpfully watching, was a bold