ALBATROS - Fleetwood Mac

 Yes, once again we kick of with a Fist Full (albeit a small one) of Firsts for the Year Moths with

CLAY TRIPLE-LINES

SCALLOPED OAK 

and to bring but a modicum of colour

SMALL PURPLE BARRED

HAWORTH'S PUG
and finaly for today at least

SMALL RUFOUS
While lamenting the abandonment of the Little Grebe nest on the Gravel Pit our Wishing and Hoping (Dusty Springfield) has brought a result!

Only just visable through the Reed, Sedge and other obstructions an adult

LITTLE GREBE 

tending a brace of HUMBUGS

now all we hope for is survival????
It has been as far back as what was / is described as the end of the pandemic that we have seen a

BRITISH AIRWAYS
on the wing here, the last being when clearing out the Mass gatherings.
On such days a small bunch of Butterflies are always welcome with the attendees being

GATEKEEPER

COMMON BLUE
and

GREEN HAIRSTREAK

and one for the JOCK's but more particularly the couple of my own vintage flying back to Edibugher that very same day. Again, so pleased to have made your acquaintence, while finally some modification to the

CHICKEN SHACK
We cannot mouth those words without heading off for a little more
Rock and Roll Nostalga.

Not only my oppinion, but that of thousands, that one of the greatest Guitarist G.B. has even produced is Stan Webb who formed a 'white blues band' of the same name (Chicken Shack that is) in the very early 60's and had on his side vocalist and keyboard player Christine Perfect, another sensation! They, along with many others, played the first Bath Blues Festival on the local Rugby Ground incuding John Mayall's Blues Breakers featuring John McVie on Bass Guitar, Peter Green on Lead Guitar, Mick Fleetwood on Drums but what could never have been envisaged at the time that along with Perfect, later to become Mrs McVie, we were witnessing the incarnation of one of, or even THE, Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the world Fleetwood Mac!! The band was named by the founder, Green, as he felt he was never going to make the full course, which of course we know sadly he didn't, and hopfully leaving no complications. Further to this 'triv' it is of local note that the black and white video of arguably their best 'track' Albatros was rcorded at a stormy

Portland Bill 

and now features endlessly, as background music, on the TV adverts for Marks and Spencer. My own claim to fame in a protracted story, that in line with Mr Green I am his 'doppelganger' and for the sake of brevity, if you wish to read the rest of the story then go to our 'search engine' and enter Saturday, 5 February 2011 if only for a giggle!

Wishin' and Hopin' - Dusty Springfield

 The Heart of Summer is not the best time for Wildlife Watching so we have to cobble together anything that we are lucky enough to find. The Moth Traps continue to produce a First for the Year or 3, such as........

an expected

SHARK
(you can call me Jaws)

SMALL GRASS EMERALD

and enjoying the sunshine

PURPLE THORN
Most prolific in Bird Land at the moment and product of another

first part of the

Nesting Season

where should they follow the usual trend

there will be more to come,

HOUSE SPARROWs

and while not trying to make this the
Starling / Sparrow Files

but need to field what Padding we can lay hands on!

it might be that this
Private Charter Hawker Beechcraft is the one that they are trying to stop Oil Executives flying from B.I.A. to Dyce in Aberdeen , we would suggest the walk or bike it to stop the polution, while on the other side of the coin the cultivar

DOG ROSES

are in fruit.
"Oh no, not Rose Hip Syrup again Mum?"
While staying on the Plant theme the first of the

RAGWORT
are now in flower,

"best keep the Horses away" while it might be that we end on a sad note.
It has been 2 days now since the parent

LITTLE GREBE
has been seen on what looks very much like an abandoned nest - here's hoping not!

Reach for the Sky - Douglas Bader

The predictions of +30°C from the Southern Sahara dosn’t seem to have quiet reached us here yet, much to the chagrin of the average Moth’er, but we are still getting some joy now and then. Yesterday’s catch of 150 ‘macro’s of 49 species did bring with it 2 additions to the Year List including

SMALL PHOENIX

 and

SMALL BLOOD-VEIN

with these 2 not holding the exclusivity as far as 'flying' is concerned as the holiday trade,

as will be seen as we progress is also in

full swing!
Along with the traps in Solar Panel Compound 13

new parent (female)

and male
PHEASANTs

showing off their new arrival (it's usually a dozen or more)

but "caution brother" all is not as safe as it seems, with

Johnney the Fox in waiting!

Not exactly Passenger Carrying but we find it hard to resist the
Coastguard Chopper
and while it is not strange to see 'small' groups of Gulls, from time to time, in the S.P.C. today's estimate of 50 in small clusters across a wide area

LESSER BLACK-BACKED and HERRING

was a certain record breaker.

AMELIS

TO THE FRENCH RIVIERA

(in close up)

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS

JUVENILE HERRING GULLs
The Parent Company will be delighted with the attendant 'Deposits'!

BOMBARDIER GLOBAL EXPRESS - GAMA AVIATION

Australia - Part IV

 

Continuing this mammoth trip we last week told of our arrival at Alice Springs, but not how we got there. That was via the world famous

GHAN TRAIN
which crosses the Northern Territory from Darwin to Adelaide or vice versa

we opting for the down-hill trip with part of the journey taking us through the Simpon Desert and also, likely the main thrust during that 1,850 miles, the Olga and Uluru! Wildlife and views in no particular order started with our first veiw of the

OLGAS or KATA TJUTA

or
KATA TJUTA
a series of large, domes rock formations or 'bornhardts' located about 360 mils from Alice Springs.

SPINEY LIZARD

KORI BUSTARD

GREAT BOWERBIRD
and

nest strewn with any trinckets they can find to attract the girl of their dreams!

Our first view of Uluru
more famously known as
AYERS ROCK

HELLO-GOODBYE LIZARD

ABORIGINAL

ROCK PAINTINGS

Various

Veiws

A slap-up Meal

while watching the changing shades on the rock

as the Sun set.
Our 2 gentleman hosts, Driver and Guide, were a right pair of Herburt's and insisted that we should ready ourselves for the only surviving example of a certain species of Rubber Tree left on Mother Earth, so camara poised as we took the next bend in thetrack

Fooled Again
followed by a selection of images on the way back

FINKE RIVER

COMB-CRESTED JACANA

MAGPIE GOOSE

BAR-SHOULDERED DOVE

TORRESIAN IMPERIAL PIGEON

BLUE-WINGED KOOKABURRA
unidenrified

LIZARD

WANDERING TATTLER

GREY BUTCHERBIRD

CLAMEROUS REED WARBLER

GREAT KNOT

and the GHAN down to ADELAIDE