A Kestrel for a Knave - Barry Hines

 While the temperature had dropped a little further overnight to -2°C, there were still Moths to be had and the day itself turned into something quite Spring-like!

While the Insects only amounted to

BEADED CHESTNUT

RED-LINE QUAKER
and close relative a

YELLOW-LINE QUAKER

but a lesson or reminder to us all, if you don't switch on there will be no catch and who knows if that rareity or even a final First for Year isn't still lurking about out there? Otherwise the bright sunshine had brought the

KESTRELs

with this first one on the Farmhouse roof early doors.

Next, high on the wires above the Main Pond and at first backs towards and head under wing,

a couple that at first took some sorting

until showing their raggy heads and nesh bills as

WOOD PIGEON SQUABS

A gentle stroll back to the Holm Oak tree next to the homestead found one of the adult birds

still sitting

and 'maybe' the other parent bird at its usual perch on the chicken coup gate.

WOOD PIGEON

By no means concrete proof that the progeny are theirs anyway?
Returning to the car, across the paddock sat a second

KESTREL

on one of the ornimental Copper Beeches.
Although common, numerous and seen on a daily basis it is often difficult not to click the odd

HOUSE SPARROW

However next came, if my memory serves me, something not seen before in the shape of a new Aircraft

(the jury is still out as to whether we have seen it/one before or not)
M-STAR BOEING 727 belonging to Starling Aviation
but know someone who will not be shy in telling us if we have or misidentified it?
A slight adjustment to configuration of the tiny group of

TEAL
as another

MALE
has joined yesterdays small group and better not leave the ladies out even though in the mist.

FEMALE

"diving now" - where have we heard that before - having just missed the
Little Grebe.
30 minutes in pursuit of maybe a Black Redtart or Yellow-browed Warbler along the

Sewerage Works Fence / Hedge-line produced no more than a mobile

CHIFFCHAFF

DOGROSE
in both flower and

hip
along with a preening

GOLDFINCH
On the Heath there was nothing more than c5 flighty Meadow Pipits, a full gathering of munching

RARE BREED GOATS
and Yes another

KESTREL

this one with prey,
while at Gibbets Firs (named as the word suggests) we had quite forgotten about the

BAT BOXES
gifted by the Solar Pane people who also sited them, handed them over to a local Bat Group?? who we have not seen hide nor hair of since! Not licenced or qualified myself so left alone.

Just a trio of
BLACK-HEADED GULLS

appeared to be awaiting our return, while there is no doubt a final

KESTREL
perched on the Wood Pile certainly was!

No mate there were definitely more than 2!

Off Piste (Part II)

  It's been a long time, been a long time, been a long lonely, lonely, loneley, lonely, lonely time!

but here it is at last - Led Zeppelin

Returning to our Sunday (at long last we hear you say) visit to Longham Lakes it is true to say that numbers of Wildfowl remain low, just a little too early for good numbers that Winter will surely bring. However, apart from the more common Geese, such as Greylag and Canada, which seemed altogether absent, there were a few representatives of most others usual species.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

for instance

were few and far between while there were more flyover

CORMORANTs
than those few that were settled.

A strange mix of
TUFTED DUCK (female) and

COOT

were getting no closer than mid-water
TUFTED DUCK (male)
but the brief distraction from an almost over vocal and occassionally visible

CETTI'S WARBLER

were both welcome sights and sounds which might have been described as going 'bonkers'!
It was then that we encountered Dr George Green again, a second time in as many weeks, who was still waxing lyrical about the couple of

MERVIELLE du JOUR MOTHs
he was shown at that last encounter. Fact was he had returned home only to catch his very own that same night. As if that were not enough he also had some reassuring news about the scarce bird most of us were still seaching for which was that it had been seen that morning. The waterfowl continued

with
GADWALL (male) and

female along with both sexes of

WIGEON

(female)
before attentions were turned again to the land again at the appearence of a

male

REED BUNTING
but in all that only a single male

POCHARD

Back at the Island where the Green-winged Teal still remained 'head under wing' the

SHOVELER
(male)

(female)
had shaken themselves out of their slumber and showing very well.
However, that lasted but a couple of minutes as our hearts desire was spotted close to the shore but feeding which meant frequent 'diving' causing some frustration to say the least.
To the delight of the small gathering this was the very first sighting of a

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER

at

LONGHAM LAKES

which is not an uncommon winter visitor to our seaways and harbours

but an unusual candidate for a relatively small

Inland Lake.

However, having said that there is something of a case for

lightning striking twice in a similar place as in 2017 / 18 this

BEAUTY

overwintered on the lake at nearby

Poole Park,

while on departure another Birder not seen for many a day

KEVIN LANE
all too brief!