Nothing Else Matters - Metallica

Finally, late yesterday afternoon I got to meet Simon Godfrey whose wife Lesley it has been my pleasure to enjoy the company of over the last couple of days. Having been hard at work in London for those days,

Simon was surely deserving of a 'shot' of one of his favourite tipples, 'Jeremiah Weed'. I just loved the bespoke 'jam-jar' glass and already have my feelers out to obtain one. If like me you have never heard of this Devilish brew, here is the SP:-

Jeremiah Weed is a brand of several bourbon whiskey based products, including a 90 proof blended whiskey distilled in Kentucky and a bourbon based liqueur manufactured in Connecticut and sold in limited quantities in the United States, mostly at and around Air Force installations. The alcohol content of the liqueur by volume is 50% (100 proof). Jeremiah Weed is a product of Diageo.

Jeremiah Weed has earned notoriety and has become a favorite drink of the American fighter pilot, especially in the United States Air Force. It is so popular among this demographic that it has gained a cult following. Jeremiah Weed is a very significant element of American fighter pilot culture; how it came to be the drink of the fighter pilot is a matter of legend.

Once again the JD Wetherspoon house William Henry was devoid of Lesley's favourite Jameson's Irish whisky so she, and I had to settle for a large Glenmorangie, single (Scottish) malt whisky - life's hell isn't it?

Sharing a meal together, all too soon it was time to leave, and I for one could happily have stayed all night. Having enjoyed the fantastic company of 2 of the nicest people I've met for many a day, the lyrics of Metallica's classic love song stayed with me all the way home, which describes my new 'friends' perfectly.

Trust I seek and I find in you
every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

So to today and with no restrictions on the 'bus pass' plus good weather conditions it was directly to the Bill. There was a singing Blackcap on the way there and at Barleycrates

the full chill of the wind, still in the east, could be felt. All I could find there were double figures of both Dunnock and Great Tit (11 and 13 respectively) but it was later reveled that the main prize had slipped my grip. c2 Ring Ouzels had been seen earlier at the cliff end of the path, bringing my total to 3 of these dark Thrushes with contrasting white bib missed so far this season. There were good numbers of Meadow Pipit and Linnet flying down the western edge of the Island, with just one or two Wheatear and Sand Martin among them for good measure.

Reaching the lower fields, one of the Wheatears struck a distant pose, and close to the Obs quarry c2 Firecrests, several Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler were seen. In the garden a slow trickle of migrants had been caught in the mist nets including

this Goldcrest

with this Firecrest (caught during the week) published just for comparison.

There was also a Robin which, so I was told,

has its origins in Continental Europe, as shown by its greyer plumage.

The ringing over for the day, The Prof (Peter Morgan) furls one of the mist nets.

On the way home I witnessed the handiwork of a 'ringer' somewhere as this photograph shows a ringed Goldfinch (right of picture),

while on the same wire was a Collared Dove.

Finally, Paul Harris sent these images of a weird mechanical contraption, with the question, what do you think it is?

Well, with a little research I do believe I've cracked it.

It has to be a 'Tree Up-rooter', designed to move a tree, intact from one location to another - what do you say matey?

PS - hope you enjoyed driving the Ferrari?