New Kid in Town - The Eagles Part II

 In order to cram a Quart into a Pint Pot we had monitored the Home Traps before the Apprentices arrived hoping that Dave would come up with a decent catch that we could save for later. While interested in all aspects of the Wild World there is nothing these youngsters like better than turning the Reptile Covers, which also provide the odd small Mammal on occasion but not on the day.

Just a quick look at the best on show at home included

CREAM-SPOT TIGER

and

POPLAR HAWK-MOTH

before getting amonst those covers while noting that the

ASPENS
(left) are now in full leaf, quite a picture.

Across the 15 covers

there were a total of c5

SMOOTH SNAKES

with their distinctive

Heart Shaped Crown Markings

while interspursed by a number of other creatures such as

GREEN HAIR-STREAK BUTTERFLIES

on

BROOM

and

MEADOW PIPIT
feeding young before finding under the final cover both

ANT'S NEST
and a couple of

WHITE-LIPPED SNAILs

It would also seem that those who porport to be gardians of this precious area have, at long last, dug out a sandy area for the benifit of

 SAND LIZARDS
(of which we saw a single) promised a number of years ago and a scruffy, to say the least,

BLUE TIT
at its ablutions while a number of

SMALL HEATH BUTTERFLIES
flittered around
as "All Good Things" as the saying goes, but not before relocating the

MELODIOUS WARBLER

with the Children delighted

even though at some distance

but not seen since

over the last 3 days!
Dave took it upon himself to save the

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER

for himself after we had left

but some you Win and some you Don't!
With the final chapter tomorrow if all goes well!

New Kid in Town - The Eagles - Part I

  While Dave arrived early Saturday morning and 2 of the Apprentice’s the following day at 08:30 there was so much going on across that time period that we are able to form a triptych, rather than a single Post, of all the comings and goings. Kicking off in what has become of late a 'usual fashion' again we started the day with another

First for the Year

LIME HAWK-MOTH
not 'in' the trap at all but happy to perch on the funnel.
Additionally, there were a couple of oddities such as this melanistic

PEPPERED MOTH
showing an increased amount of black pigmentation

architype, usual form along with another f.f.y.

RUSTIC SHOULDER-KNOT

WHITE ERMINE
attempting to increase the population and making for a trio of f.f.y.

and thought quite appropriate, given the above,

TRUE LOVER'S KNOT
while the findings during the hours of daylight were numerous and more than welcome!

CUCKOO
was not unexpected but at the other end of the scale, as for

GARDEN WARBLER

we consider it lucky to see one at all although occasionally heard.
Again it was Dave's sharp eyes that settled on the larva of a

DRINKER MOTH

then a family group of
PHEASANT's
minus dad which was not all.

An unidentified Shieldbut is considered by myself to be

DOCK SHIELDBUG
but if incorrect would be equally pleased to be put right.

SISKIN
were also in evinence, numbers unknown, while a lone

SCARCE CHASER

was yet another feather in the cap of his Daveship - Well Done that man!

At the
BALANCING POND,

a deep and wide ditch excavated to accommodate heavy falls of rain and keep the surface water from the nearby aircraft runways,

which has become something of a mini-Nature Reserve in its own right.
Here there was something of a conundrum for us both as whatever Species of Bird it was changing its song frequently. Something of a mimic, like Reed Warbler, then Sedge, Willow and maybe more until sighted, but no doubts about the occassional squeals of the resident

WATER RAIL

When seen at some distance it became a

most unexpected

but a seriously welcome

addition to the

Recording Area List

as our 'first ever'

MELODIOUS WARBLER

a migratory species that breeds in Western Europe and North Africa, and overwinters in West Africa south of the Sahara Desert. The breeding range extends from the Iberian Peninsula eastwards to Germany and Italy and second only to the 'rarest species ever found here' a

SIBERIAN STONECHAT

back in 2017
and during this time period there was also a huge number of

SWIFTS

feeding overhead and most likely having just transited the
ENGLISH CHANNEL
THE APPRENTICE'S ARE COMING TOMORROW!!