The War of the Worlds - Jeff Wayne

WELCOME to a NEW MONTH bringing with it WINTER!

"and still they come"

not Martians this time only Moths

a single

BLAIR'S SHOULDER-KNOT

c2 SILVER Y

DARK CHESTNUT
and maybe this might be the last

WASP
of 2020?

a little too late to join the throng of the prevoius No Need to Go Outside Post it was

ROOKs

that were first to gather on the lawn this morning before a

Tale of the Unexpected and a Wayward
COOT

on the main pond which was gone by the time we returned. Also inspired by the Plant Life of another previous Post we are now keeping eyes peeled for more  

Wild Flowers of Winter

starting with the seemingly ever present
GREEN ALKANET

            Still pounding the beat that is the Sewerage Works fence line, in hope of that elusive                  Black Redstart we did happen upon a number of

likely to overwinter

CHIFFCHAFF

but only time will tell?

and additionally the likes of

YARROW
one of the numerous species of

HAWK'S BEARD
and

SCENTED MAYWEED
we thank John Gifford for assistance with some of the identifications.

All else amounted to just acouple of

LINNETs

on the Heath

along with

just a single

MEADOW PIPIT
(Slim Pickings)
Otherwise, we continue the search for material to aid Andy Thorpe, erstwhile
Recorder of the now defunct North Sea Bird Bird Club, in his efforts to write a book on the subject.
We are hoping that images of these 2

MINKE WHALEs
taken from the deck of the Semi-submersible Drilling Rig Stena Hunter in 2010

will help with his efforts.

Clutching at Straws - Marillion

 As with the Herp's Covers the Moth Traps too are sailing close to the wind of

HIBERNATION

but while we keep catching such as those below we'll keep the home fires burning into the upcoming

WINTER!
Not unexpected but someting of a surprise the both resident and migrant

SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER
could turn up at any time of the year but surely a 'colinizer' rather than an 'incomer'?

OAK RUSTIC

is surely close to its final 2020 appearance?
From here on it is as the headline suggests as things remain just a little less than duff!
So much so we have decided to feature our tiny Oppo the

ROBIN

which has been a daily feature at the
Heath Moth Traps
since late Spring and making life just a little more difficult!

We make every effort to release our Insects responsibly which now involves consigning them to a small contained and dumping then away from the trap's site depriving Mr Red Breast of his breakfast!
Otherwise and there is only just an OTHERWISE as

TEAL
are represented by just this single male bird as numbers of

TUFTED DUCK
have swollen to a couple of pairs all at the Gravel Pit and

cock
PHEASANTs

get in a bit of early practice

before the serious business of pre-nuptual sparring begins!
Dribs and Drabs

of

MISTLE THRUSH
arrival continues with some still showing signs of juvenile plumage
which fits perfectly if these were for instance Scottish birds.

A hand held over a candle in angst fuelled bravado
A carbon trail scores a moist stretched palm
Trapped in the indecision of another fine menu
And you sit there and ask me to tell you the story so far
This is the story so far

 Talking of which, LOVE 'em as we do, having had a close association with the Jocks during our years at sea and the annual 10 day Bird Watching spell on the first crew change out of Aberdeen during April they really can do little wrong in my eyes. That however was enhanced somewhat when those fine   Hearts of Lothian - Marillion released their first 2 albums in fairly quick succession. Personally we see both as more like Social Documents than Musical Compossions as describing some eliments, particularly the youth, to an absolute tee being an addict for lyrics as I am!

From the dream on the barbed wire at Flanders and Bilston Glen
From a Clydeside that rusts from the tears of its broken men
From the realisation that all we've been left behind
Is to stand like our fathers before us in the firing line

Waiting on the whistle to blow
We stand here waiting on the whistle to blow
They promised us miracles, and the whistle still blows
Broken promises but the whistle still blows
Waiting on the whistle to blow
We stand here waiting on the whistle to blow

       Strongly recommended are the 2 consecutive works

Misplaced Childhood 

and

                  Clutching at Straws             

The lyrics will blow you away but it’s possible that we are “preaching to the converted”?

This post is dedicated to the fine tallants of messres Fish (vocals), Rothery (lead guitar), Trewavas (Bass), Kelly (keyboards) and Mosley (drums).

All in a Mouses Night - Genesis

 Herps is a vernacular term for non-avian reptiles and amphibians but as far as what we describe as

Herp Covers

is concerned this is something of a misnomer.

From beneath we have recorded small Mammals, as was the case today, Insects, Arachnids, Snails et al but still continue to use the term.

Being only Friday it wasn’t even close to the routine we have gotten ourselves into of turning them on a Sunday, but with little else to be found need where needs must! To emphersise the point all that was found yesterday was a

most welcome

WOOD or if you prefere LONG-TAILED FIELD MOUSE
 which will likely be the final find under the covers for 2020.

 Under such circumstances it is usual to take stock of what has been recorded over the year with the signs not being at all Good.

In no particular order, we would start with the humble

SLOE WORM
which appears not to have fared too well at all compared with previous years.

We only log individual sightings, with no attempt to specify individual creatures or mark them in any way, with this years count having been as low as 13 sightings where in other years it has been 'dozens'!

As far as the

GRASS SNAKE
 is concerned this was the only example recorded this year but not to say there are not others out there?

Next, the already endangered and protected by law

SAND LIZARD

of which there have been

no more than c2 sightings!

The absolute 'beauty' that is the

ADDER

 Creatures shaped this planet's soil
Now their reign has come to end

has only been noted on a single occassion across 2020

as, sad to say, has the

COMMON LIZARD

 Has life again destroyed life?
Do they play elsewhere, do they know
More than their childhood games?

which may be close to extinction here?
Maybe the lizard's shed its tail

This is the end of man's long union with Earth

Watcher of the Skies - Genesis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5NOV0-EH0c
Finally, for our patch at least and most numerous,

SMOOTH SNAKE

Dave Foot
with shedded Smooth Snake skin.

Appears also to have declined with just 33 sightings whereas in previous years
3 to 5 dozen would be a usual tally.
We end this post with a likely impossible wish list as we pay a visit to Portland, Dorset

to view one of their specialities
WALL LIZARD 

Oh to have them Here!