Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra

 Not exactly ideal having to dodge both light and heavy showers,

but the show must go on 'for now at least'? A decent start with a First for the Year

BLUE TIT

first of all in a bush and then

scratching around on the guttering in seach of food with a 

COMMON BUZZARD

the second addition to the list being hampered by a
CARRION CROW
under an unexpected patch of clear blue sky. Any species of Moth

even though yet another
MOTTLED UMBER

is welcome at this time of year as was our first adult

LITTLE GREBE
on the Gravel Pit bringing back fond memories

of last year's breeding success.
Another hefty shower brought a bit of colour to the sky with something of a washed out

RAINBOW
arcing the solar panels and also being favoured by our first

REDWING

of 2023 and begging the question, "where are all the Skylarks and Greenfinch"?

while both

LONG-TAILED TIT

and a pair of

GOLDCREST
fell to the log at the Sewerage Works.
A short visit to the Airport in hopes of
Lesser Black-backed Gull
fell by the wayside but in its stead the

OZ JET FUSELAGE
bringing a wry thought that with no wings it would take a WIZARD to get that off the tarmac.

The Beat Goes On - Sonny & Cher

but for how much longer as we post to our lowest audiences ever????

Saturday was a Write-Off as far as the weather was concerned leaving us firmly Confined to Barracks but not without a few images left over from previous days. As with earlier Posts all of the Wildlife referes to 'First Sightings for the Year' with the exception of this

WOOD PIGEON

which has become something of a neighbour favouring a perch on the Chicken Run not 5 yards away and captured from the comfort of our sofa. Otherwise,

CETTI'S WARBLER

on the still swollen River Stour made for the best of additions to the Year List and ditto as followed by a

GREEN WOODPECKER
feeding on the tennis court and while continuing our venture in Southern Climes

it was pleasing to find what we continue to refer to as

THE

FIELDFARE

still gorging on the ripe
CRAB-APPELS

and adding to the list followed by a brief, transiting and noisy

EUROFIGHTER TYPOON
(borrowed image)
The drive up north found no Moths in the traps but within the
Solar Panel Compound

something of a bonus and singular

LAPWING
as was the case with the only

STARLING
at the Sewerage Works in company with an equally lone

WREN

FOOTNOTE

The Sewerage Works are an important part of our Daily Partols with some of you maybe wondering why. The heat generated at such sites stimulates the breeding of 'millions' of Insects all fodder for Birdlife and others as this image from our

Much Valued Friend 'Bomber' in Weymouth clearly shows - yes, just a mass of Insects!

Digging for Victory

A new species of Moth for the New Year

was a most welcome start to yet another damp day, the migrant

PEARLY UNDERWING
but little besides until we stumbled across our

Old Favourite

in just about the same spot as it spent the last days of 2022 the lone

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE
posing as ever with this couple of irresistible

HERRING GULLs
perched on the Solar Panels added simply for our love of the whole family group!
Next came as something of a surprise to find that the 'unseen'

BADGERs

had been putting in a 'night shift' re-excavating their Sett on the

BRONZE-AGE TUMULI

while we watched and listened to the clatter of this most welcome

AIRBUS A340
out of Bournemouth International passing directly overhead.

Seems
MR MOLE

had been in on the act as well.
All that was found down south was this friendly gathering

of those about to be involved in the laying of a new
Bridleway this being just one third of the total representatives!
While finally a quick shot, by way of an update, of the juvenile

MUTE SWANs
of last year looking to be doing very well, gone it would seem the Flying Angel feathers!

Angel of the Morning (Juice Newton) - Part II

 In line with the last Post of 2022 we follow up with the final few birds at

MAQUIPUCUNA LODGE, EQUADOR

 before we moved on to the

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY
with young.

TOUCAN BARBET

CRIMSON-RUMPED TOUCANET

MOUSTACHED ANT PITTA

SQUIRREL CUCKOO

COLLARED TROGON

PEURTO LOPEZ STREET SCENE

PACIFIC PARROTLET

ROYAL TERN

BLUE-WINGED MOUNTAIN TANAGER

SHINING SUNBEAM

ANDEAN COCK-of-the-ROCK
(female)

RUFOUS MOTMOT

PALE MANDIBLED ARACARI
and finally a most delicate

TRANSPARENT BUTTERFLY