Throw Down the Sword - Wishbone Ash

 

With the overnight temperature having dipped below the double figure mark, +9°C, expectations plummeted to well below that, but ‘oh, ye of little faith’!

In the deapths of the traps were found firstly the likely migrant

WHITE-SPECK

along with a similarly described

DARK SWORD-GRASS

Given the season, we'll settle for that!

Without travelling to far it was also considered that there had been an overnight influx of both

DUNNOCK

along with

WRENs

bringing up the rear guard.

While the humble
COLLARED DOVE
continues to favour the Eco-Works with more New Entries found at the

Gravel Pit

with certainly c2

COMMON SNIPE
and the suspicions of a 'third'?

and while proving impossible to capture in their entirety there are also c3 pairs of

GADWALL

on the lake as well but could only capture c2 pairs together.

Butterfly - Willie Nelson

 Unfortunately, getting a little repetative now but all we can give you is 'what we have got'!

again
RED-GREEN CARPET

GREY SHOULDER-KNOT
and

DECEMBER MOTH 

graced the traps but right outside of our comfort zone came one of the 'micro'

PLUME MOTHs
which, with just a glance at the double page from the

FIELD GUIDE,
may just distract you as well!

Outside of this and in 'Active Mode' an obliging

WOODLOUSE
and maybe the same

RED ADMIRAL

of previous days?
Otherwise, we did pay a brief visit to the Heath, more out of desperation than expectation where was found not a Creature Great or Small but when needs must just clicking what there was.

DEAN's DITCH

looking east

and then west throught the bushes of
MYRTLE
followed by a few incidental snaps of such things as the

additional

wind damage

allowing for closer views of the decaying

BRACKET FUNGI

and hopefully a larder for the incoming

Northern Thrushes
and ending with the New Toy an

Automatc Hover Lawn Mower 

'Cus me, I'm just a lawnmower you can tell me by the way I walk!

Genesis

AUSTRALIA - Manic Street Preachers

Something of a magical start to yesterday as the early morning insomnia set in, but waking to find what they are calling a

BEAVER MOON
was just starting to transit the Star Tunnel (the Sky-Light directly above the bunk) referring to the time of year when those Mammals start to construct their Lodges. Additionally at dawn with the gadget showing only a single + degree hopes were not high for any returnes from the Moth Traps. "Oh yea of little faith", as it is well know among our peer group that we do not welcome Micro Moths (those mainly tiny little things you can hardly see and most not having a vernacular name, only one in Latin) at times we can hardly speak Ingrish Ploperly, there lay c2

MUSTOMA NITIDALIS

smaller than a 5 pence coin and numerous on the Heath. The story goes that these eye-catching Insects were intoduced to this county by horticulturalists importing Ferns from the Antipodes and readily took a foothold. During the night, the wind had backed to the north-east sending the airflow and the Moths in our direction so at least we did not draw a BLANK while additionally there was a nicely 'saddled' but small

EARTHWORM

along with the tiniest

of

SLUGs
Further north things were equally quiet as we inadvertently flushed a

GREY HERON
from the Irrigation Pond but relocating it 10 minures later on the banks of the

Gravel Pit
in company with c3

TEAL

and a seemingly lone

LITTLE GREBE
Somewhat better views of the

CHAROLAIS

ET AL
today hosting an opportunist

MAGPIE
behaving more like a

RED-BILLED OXPECKER

or even

YELLOW-BILLED OXPECKER
rather than the thief it is purported to be!

I'm a King Bee - Slim Harpo

 Despite a dip in temperature those beautiful little critters still continue to grace the Moth Traps, represented last night by the likes of

ANGLE SHADES

DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG

BLOOD-VEIN
along with a somewhat unexpected

BARRED SALLOW

although we are reliably informed that one or three have been caught across the County in recent nights.

Across something of a gloomy day there were things to see but because of the conditions not really condusive with Canonisation - best get the excusses out of the way firstly!

A distant squadron of

 WOOD PIGEONs

were the largest flock for this end of the year thus far,

while close by was found one of the 'dark-billed' variety of 'northern'

BLACKBIRD
and while not seen, our first

FIELDFARE
of the oncoming Winter was heard continuously 'chacking' at some distance.
The Butterfly net was deployed to capture one of a number of

BUFF-TAILED BUMBLEBEEs
still on the wing while along the course of the River Stour another
Tale of the Unexpected

as this OTTER put in an all to brief appearance.
What else was spotted had but one thing in common, the continuing Gloom with the

local opportunist male

KESTREL

watching from above for anything tham might move in the grass below, while the

ROOKs

just sat waiting for the coast to be clear before returning to plundering the
Chicken Feed.
We may call it coincidental but our shortened day ended with another

BUMBLEBEE
this time
WHITE-TAILED