Ladybird, Ladybird Fly Away Home

Just to kick off, we are reliably informed that yesterday's Red Chopper is a Robinson's R44.    Many Thanks John. 

The light

FROSTs
keep on comeing with a backup of bright sunshine while from above

the distinctive 'calls' of what sounded like a decent number of

MEDITERRANEAN GULLs
among the even higher number of Herring's heading inland.
First stop was to be the newly sited Moth Trap which we have hauled up north and found at least to have been bloodied by no more than a

COMMON QUAKER
but a Moth is a Moth and considered at least a start with back up provided by a singing

STONECHAT

who's efforts seemed to be having the desired effect.
Across the Solar Panals and between another

eye-catching

but unusually just solo

STARLING

and equally attractive male

CHAFFINCH
more signs of fresh excavations at the

BADGER SETT
will warrant a dusk visit some day soon.
More callings from above as this

COMMON BUZZARD
circled in anticipation of breakfast or a partner and what we thought might be the last new arrivals of the day, as the first small flock of

SHEEP
were noted in a neibouring compound but we hadn't accounted for this

HARLEQUIN LADYBIRD

dropping from the sky-light onto the laptop.
Still no signs of a Migrant Bird, unlike those being reported from around the county, but again "patience is a virtue, possese it if you can.
Often found in Women but never found in Man"!

Ant Music - Adam and the Ants

 Another cracking Spring day yesterday most of which, between bouts victualing and bunkering ship, was spent on the Heath while the phase of the

WORM MOON
continues, yes we hear you say, neither have we ever heard of such a thing!

The quick pass of a new 'Chopper' to us didn't leave any clues as to it type or origin but ever onward starting, as ever, with the Moth Traps.

From the home traps came a first for the year
EARLY TOOTH-STRIPED
but outshone by a most nifty

MULLEIN

from the recently resited traps up north.
Also down south a lone

MALLARD
on the Stubble Field and silently gaping

seemed a little strange and out of place, but not so the full bloom

MAGNOLIA
in the Manor garden followed by a short diversion into the Aiport to count the

ROOK's NESTS
65 from what could be seen almost doubling last years total, but still no
Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
Met at the gatway to the Moor by this feeding

DUNNOCK

again we could not coax a
Lesser-spotted Woodpecker
out of the trees but under the first 'cover' found the first of c5

very active

FIELDVOLE's

across the visit while there were a few

STONECHAT

only singles of
LINNET
and

WOODLARK
Under 2 more successive Covers 

were found c2 seperate

SLOE WORMs

along with yet another rather coy

FIELD VOLE
with nest while the still naked

ASPENS
will be some time in this condition as late to burst into leaf.
Under the final cover some

ANT MININGs

with a decent gathering of the Insects themselves as the
Rare Breed Goats

offered a rauchous farewell.

The Continental - Con Conrad

                The crux of our Sunday Post as we pay a visit to each of the 7 Continents with an              Avian Theme drawn from our Archive.

SOUTH AMERICA

BLACK-CHINNED MOUNTAIN TANAGER
(Ecuador)

FIREWOOD-GATHERER
(Argentina)

MEDIUM CACTUS FINCH
(Galapagos)

TORRENT DUCK
(Colombia)

ASIA

SWINHOE'S PHEASANT
(Taiwan)

ORIENTAL WHITE STORK
(South Korea - maybe extinct by now?)

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL
(Japan)

SILVER-EARED MESIA
(Fraser Hill - Malasia)

AFRICA

JACKASS PENGUIN
(Cape Town)

CABERT'S VANGA
(Madagascar)

OSTRICH
(The Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho)

AUSTRALIA

BLACK-FRONTED PLOVER

BLUE-BILLED DUCK

COMMON BRONZEWING

WHITE-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO
and of course including both
NORTH and SOUTH ISLAND's of NEW ZEALAND

N Z BELLBIRD

PARADISE SHELLDUCK

RED-BILLED GULL

WRYBILL
TO BE CONTINUED