Sunday 13 July 2014

Top secret

The Safari has been doing some rather different wildlify fun and exciting stuff this weekend but we're not at liberty to tell you about it yet, dunno when we will either but you will learn about what we've been up to in due course - it wont be a secret for ever.
Whatever the top secret thing is it kept us away from the coast yesterday when it seems there were Bottlenose Dolphins being reported in good numbers from here there and everywhere.
Keeping an eye on the wildlife in the garden at Base Camp we've noticed second broods of Greenfinch and Goldfinch coming to the feeders.
There's plenty of young Blue Tits about too, looks like they've fared quite well this year.
A Comma bumbled through, nice to see as they're not all that common here.
The moth trap didn't produce much by way of quanity, having to compete with the 'Super' Moon on Friday and heavy overnight rain drowning a couple in the bottom of the trap on Saturday night.
However it did produce two new species for the garden both micros and both attractive ones at that.
Eucosma cana

Either Oegoconia quadripuncta
or Oegoconia deauratella - they're not possible to distinguish without dissection
The former has a distribution that reaches Lancashire, the latter has a more south easterly biased distribution although given the difficulties in ID chances are both could be present locally.
This arvo a Grey Squirrel poked its head over the end of the garage roof, not seen one here for quite some time.
A wander out with Wifey and Frank along the nearest bit of the North Blackpool Pond Trail had us unsuccessfully looking for the seedpods of the Bee Orchids. There was a striking show of Ribbed Melilot and Red Clover which was being worked by numerous bees until the heavens opened and we all got a soaking.
Today the wind had picked up and news from the coast was the sea was very choppy so although we had asked for any news of the Bottlenose Dolphins to be passed on the social media stayed quiet all day. As wel as the dolphins as many as four Harbour Porpoises have been seen from the Prom too, seriously good for marine mammals out there at the mo we eagerly await the first Minke Whale of the year, a Basking Shark wouldn't go a miss either.
Where to next? Back to a sea mammal filled Patch 2 in the morning...we hope
In the meantime let us know what's sneaking around all tiny and mostly unseen in your outback.


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