Cuckoo Cocoon - Genesis

  From the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broaday.

Sunday and already a couple or 3 days in arrears to make matters worse, or better dependant on your point of view, up bowls Dave Foot. With the restrictions having been somewhat eased my aim was not to stay at a social distance but just far away enough that the money I owe him could not be handed back just yet. The mirth over it was down to the Moth Traps, a treat as he has not fired his own up thus far into the year, and pulled out over the course of the session all 'first's for the year'

the readily identifiable and common

SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART

OAK-TREE PUG
along with

KNOT GRASS
and the added bonus of a

Larvae, not captured on the day.
During that whole process, deep in the forest, was the endless Cucking and Cooing
of at least 2 Cuckoo's which were not even seen let alone brought to book

but as we have had some

Magic Moments

with such an enigmatic creature in the past

we are pleased to be able to illustrate it here

via our archive!
Dave also took a look at our nesting

MUTE SWANs
and solved our conundrum as stating that the 'sitting bird' right

has less of a projection, 'knob' at the base of her bill.

Looking every bit as if a profussion of

GROUND VIOLETs
had sprung up overnight there was also time for a short

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG
this area having served as an airfield in maybe both World Wars? where were found both a

TIZER BOTTLE (right) and an ancient MILK BOTTLE (left)

and an ancient MILK BOTTLE (right).
Unfortunately, we were unable to produce any Reptiles from under the covers

but on top of one it was found that REYNARD had left a neat little package,
while under another a predated

EMPORER MOTH

COCOON

and the wonderment of how
Mighty Oaks
spread and form their shape among a backdrop of Aspens in what is the western fringe of
The New Forset
created by King William I in about 1079
as an area for the Royal Hunt.
Among the Leaf Litter were also found the magnificent

MINATOR BEETLE

with menacing looking but harmless horns along with a

BLOODY NOSE BEETLE

just showing the red-patch on the hear that suggests the name!

GUIMBAL CABRI - VOLER AVIATION SERVICES

More Tomorrow? - Oh Alright Then!

Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf

 A fair old day yesterday which would have been perfect were it not for that still persisting nor-easterly wind, but have to start by climbing into the confessional. Stood at just a little more than the regulation Social Distance with one of my highly valued Mentors he went through a few Moths with me including what was added as Ringed Carpet on Friday’s post which in fact was a f.f.y.

SHOULDER STRIPE

and with the appropriate ammendment having been made this is the f.f.y.

RINGED CARPET
with the difference between the 2 being so subtle you could understand the mistake!

Personnally, we go for Senility!

So, ever onward and the day started in the very early hours as we were drawn from the hammock by the screechings of an unseen

LITTLE OWL

which like the previous laggard

Grey Heron
should have been consigned to the log MONTHs ago!
However, it was off to the traps where among a decent catch the following were also
First's for the Year

BRIMSTONE MOTH

along with

PALE PINION
During the process we also added a high flying

WHIMBREL

which had it not been in 'full voice' would have sauntered passed unoticed.
Also from the Heath you can almost set your watch by it as the first Skylarks start singing so the Airport Authorities

mow all of the grassy areas within the perimeter fence.
Maybe? this does no harm but like the nettle spraying why could it not be done
late Feb early March?

Also there, for me at least,

Pride of Place

had to go to this male

BLACKBIRD
in full voice and undertaking a little beak cleaning in the process, while
Cute Value

had to go to this

MEADOW PIPIT

sat atop the flowering Gorse bush and to end,
Remiss Again

as we might have published this clip 3 days ago when one of the
MUTE SWANs
still sitting on c7 eggs as far as we know and still considered to be 2 male birds,
found one of them building a second nest and on the following morning

sitting on it - "strange brew kill what's inside of you" - Cream!

Swallow's but no Amazons

Well, as predicted yesterday's Post proved to be the Crowd Puller we hoped it would be smashing the Hit List previous record during the new generation of the Bagsy Blog!

2,285 of you and Thank You Very Much and more next Sunday.

A lot of

KESTREL

activity close to the homestead, long before getting to the Moth Traps, with both
male

and female birds looking in good nick so now just awaiting the arrival of

juveniles like these taken last year at the nearby

horse stable nest box.
Another 'first for the year' was this most welcome

NARROW-WINGED PUG

along with a
Bevy of Brindled Beauty's

with one she-male leaving a small deposit which were scattered to the wild.
With the Sun up it was impossible not to include another

shining 'black'

PHEASANT
just ambling by.
Along the main Bridleway

the first of

c3

and first for the year

WHITETHROAT

along with

yet another irresistible female

WHEATEAR

(the wait is long so "snap 'em while you can"!)

Returning to Base again it was impossible to pass the single

ROOK

by at Pond-side and even closer to home

taken from the doorstep in fact

what may well be 'our' own

SWALLOWS
that nest readily in the farmhouse garage.