After the Ordeal - Genesis WEDNESDAY

More Computer / Internet issues, a full hour to publish - APOLOGIES!

 A little late with this post as the wind blew itself out a few days ago as did the

WANING CRESCENT
so time to see what damage was done and the Moth Traps stowed away for a couple of nights. Concertrating more on the Heath the fury had decimated the

ALDER BUCKTHORN
at the gate

but like such things in nature it will likely rejuvenate even stronger?
Also there we found what may be the final remnants of a couple of Fungi such as

CEP
(Penny Bun)

COLLARED EARTHSTAR

along with not a Fungi at all but something of a late surprise a lone clump of

BANK HAIRCAP MOSS
Making our return along the course of the Moors River we could alredy hear the

New Arrival

EGYPTIAN GEESE

soon spotted between the clusterss of

HOLLY

and in mortal combat as is usual.
Twidling the combination at the Solar Panel Compound gate there was a more than well calling from on high, an overflying

REDSHANK
(images from the archive)

which brought our total to just c3 over a full decade of observations!
Finally within, we found this tree

snapped off like a carrot but regardless of the gale seemed its days were numbered anyway?

Ladybird, Ladybird Fly Away Home

 Starting with something of an oversight it was as far back as last Thursday at twilight that the

RED ARROWS

put in a quite unexpected appearance and in the semi-darkness performed a verticl ,bomb-burst' followed by the more conventional horizontal stunt before disappearing from view.

The best find across all 3 Moth Traps was this
BLACK SEXTON BEETLE

while from the Chicken Shack this hapless

HOUSE SPARROW

caught in the wire mesh which functions to keep such thieves at bay.

Further north we we pleased to find c2 returning

GREEN SANDPIPER

which usually spend the winter with us - so here's hoping!
Deep in the wood we found a decent cluster of

BROWN ROLL-RIM FUNGI

along with what we can only describe as

RUST LICHEN
not knowing the correct name, but no difficulty with an uncooperative

RED ADMERAL
with the image having to be lifted from the archive. While delving in the depths this image of a

SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY

caught our eye and while with no connection at all with our local patch, or this post just seemed worthy of sharing with a valued audiance!
To end this post it can be said that we have been anticipating the annual invassion of the destructive

HARLEQUIN LADYBIRD

which come in a variety of

guises

which can arrive in many hundreds but only a dozen on the day.

while we did recieve a report from the Green Keeper of several 'hundreds' on his house earlier in the week.

Common People - Pulp

APOLOGIES FOR LATE ARRIVAL, COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN!

 While overnight temperatures continue to cling to low double figures we continue to catch Moths, but not always the right ones, while the wayward

TAWNY OWL
has returned to provide the nocturnal backing vocals and no matter how many we can never resist the temptation to publish images of

MERVEILLE du JOUR

whenever they grace our traps and on this occassion accompanied by both

RED-LINE QUAKER
and closely related

YELLOW-LINE QUAKER
Apart from that, the day was very much down to more common fare, but we can only give you what happens along! It would seem, after our previous report of such things,

CORMORANT
continue to arrive at what has become a traditional over-wintering location along the course of the Moors River.
The Golf Course too was also hosting both

BLACK-HEADED GULL
and

MOORHEN

neither being usual at

this location!
The 'COMMON' theme continued with the presence of both

ROOKs
in waiting

to steal the chickens food

from right under thier beaks

ably assisted by the local flock of

JACKDAWs
while the sighting of this

PHEASANT

on the bund brought to our attention just a single remaining stem of

RED CAMPION
while the masses had died off weeks ago!
we will now spend the next 24 hours trying to buck our ideas up, but the continuation of rain ain't going to help in that!

Seven Wonders - Fleetwood Mac - Part I

 

It was yet another item on the BBC early evening news announcing the reformation of arguably GB’s most famous and successful 2-Tone Band, that not only rang a number of bells, but also brought back extremely exciting memories of a jaunt back in 2004.

 It was late March of that year when Jim the Medic and Rather Rotund William, a.k.a. Big Fat Billy, stormed into the Marine Control Room on the Buchan Alpha Semi-Submersible Oil Rig demanding to know if I was off on my travels again? Don’t you just love a quiz, when you know the answer, and confirmed that plans were already being drawn up and a flight to Mexico City in the process of being booked, before being asked could they both join me on the adventure to cover the 7 countries that make up Central America. Reluctant, as my own mantra and age old rule of travel was, “no mates, no arguments”, but having travelled with both in the past thought it less of a risk and welcomed them onboard. My next ‘field break’ was to be of 6 weeks duration allowing for at least 5 days in each state but what a loss if the visit didn’t include probably the most important pre-Columbian Mayan complex in the world that of Chichén Itzá on the Yucatàn peninsular in the country of arrival.

Having already researched the situation, it was found that venturing to the site after 11:00 on any given day would meet with 'hundreds' of Americans (no insult intended) transported in dozens of coaches from the Cruise Ships berthed at the north east corner of the peninsular. So critical was this situation that a by-law was in place dictating that each Coach Driver should carry a bamboo cane of equal length so that not one single inch of car / coach park were wasted.  With that foremost in our minds we opted for this ***** Guest House within walking distance of the site and complete with Boat-tailed Grackles on the roof and top of the ladder, while

YUCATAN JAY
and

NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO
kicked off our wild-lifeing on this relatively short walk,

our arrival coincded perfectly with the opening of the gates, but would take another lifetime to show, on our humble post, all that was found within.

CHESNUT-SIDED WARBLER

While impossible to capture the whole complex in a single frame we will atempt to show some of the key features, while at the same time trying to remember what the hell they are, such as the TEMPLE of WARRIORS

MASKED TITYRA

CENTRAL PYRAMID
(which the public, including ourselves, were permited to climb)

CRESTED OROPENDOLA

Just a 'shadow' of my former self atop the mighty pyramid.

GOLDEN-HOODED TANAGER

Now Billy is a big lad, so this gives some idea of scale.

RED-LEGGED HONEYEATER

Some idea of the encrouching Jungle

COLLARED ARICARI

MULTIPLE TEMPLES

SNAIL KITE
(with prey and bill to access it)

SECONDARY PYRAMIDs

WHITE-FRONTED NUNBIRD
and to slake their passion for the Heavens even an

OBSERVATORY

RED-VENTED or YUCATAN WOODPECKER
As for a rendezvous with Jim after that first leg of the journey all he would agree to was "on the morning of the agreed date at Chetamul" the border town with Belize

There he was waiting for us as if leaning on the rails of Skegness beach with the mandatory G & T on the table behind!
P.S. - don't forget the BBC news item and we will endeavour to continue next Sunday........ and for Heaven's sake do not allow your Friends and Families to miss this, they will never forgive you!!!

HOPE THIS CHEERS A RATHER WINDY AND WET DAY!