John Winston Lennon MBE 1940 -1980

'Imagine' ALL the people living life in peace?

It was 30 years ago today that John Lennon was savagely gunned down in 'cold blood' in a New York street - it's impossible to kill a LEGEND!

R.I.P.

and while on the subject of music and musicians, for those who asked, the track on the Common Crane footage in yesterday's post is 'How Soon Is Now' (by, as the video credits tell, The Smiths). The riff was written by the band's guitarist Johnny Marr who is quoted as saying:- "I wanted to write a riff that was almost as potent as 'Layla' (Derek and the Dominoes [Eric Clapton re-incarnate]). When it plays in a club or a pub, everyone knows what it is." It is unarguably that, and has even been voted 'Best Riff Ever Written'! As a 'rider' the lyric was written by Smiths front-man Morrissey, and is an (the) anthem to 'shyness'.

The Smiths in 1985 left to right:

Andy Rourke, Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce

There was a deathly silence met me at the cemetery this morning as there was barely a bird to be heard and gone were all the Thrushes along with yesterday's freezing fog and biting wind. Wood Pigeons were the only birds in numbers, and even though there was a slightly more pleasant feel to the morning

looking across Radipole Lake, to a few Mallard & Grey Heron, it was still a wintry scene. Here, Shelduck were once again numerous but other wildfowl numbers also seemed to be much reduced. From the reeds and sedge Cetti's Warbers were again vocal after an absence of a few days, and similarly

Water Rail were uttering their distinctive 'piglet squeals', with this one posing for a photo call.

Talking of which, how about this for a pose? I'd like to add the caption " where's the slot for the money Dad, so I can get this thing going", but won't!

Arriving at Ferrybridge, I started eating my words reference the wind - it was cutting - but there were a few birds starting with a single Mallard flying into the harbour. A minor detour confirmed the c2 distant 'saw-bill ducks' to be

female Goosander carrying this strange ' face in the sea' manoeuvre, which makes me wonder whether they are 'surface feeding' or just searching for food? There were also good numbers of close relative Red-breasted Merganser, c5 Little Grebe and new arrivals c2 Great Crested Grebe.

This Great Black-backed Gull looked such a good subject

I couldn't resist shooting. Brent Goose numbers were much reduced today, 500 was the estimate, while I broke my personal count for Mediterranean Gulls at 258, which is small beer compared to some counts by others of 'many hundreds'.

Dunlin numbers were about the same as recent days, with single Curlew and Knot among them, otherwise a very pale Common Buzzard put in a brief appearance before being chased off by a Raven.

and so, on to the Bill were on the way this

Meadow Pipit perched on a garden wall, while at the Obs feeding station a

male Blackcap (one of 3 birds on site) put in a timely appearance. However, there was more pressing business as lunch, with Warden Martin Cade and Edwin Welland awaited at the Pulpit Public House where it's always good to be in the company of mine host Danny Fox.

At the Inner Harbour, Weymouth this Herring Gull also presented a photo chance, so here it is.

Last night I watched just part of a programme that drove me straight to the photo archive, allowing reminiscences of a fantastic tour during the autumn of 2008 through China. Part of that trip was a visit to Sichuan Provence and the

Giant Panda breeding centre in Chengdu, which was the subject of the programme.

I can well do without 'caged animals', but this unit certainly serves a function and is now returning some animals to the wild. That is not all the project covers however, as the equally rare

Red Panda (or Shining Cat) is also bred there,

and repatriated to its natural habitat.

Theatre too play a huge part in Chengdu (Chinese) society

with most popular among the many acts are the

astonishing 'changing mask troupe'.

Close by, and still in Sichuan Provence, at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers, at Leshan, stands the Grand Buddah Statue, built during the Tang Dynasty 618 - 907AD.

Maybe of interest, a few days later on the Lijiang River in Guilin Provence we encountered the

Cormorant Man preparing his birds for the day's work. They do say that people who keep animals for long enough eventually start to look like them (circa Princess Anne).

Later in the day, seen unloading his catch, what do you think? Is this not Chiang Kai-shag?

and his brother

Chiang Kai-shek
蔣中正 / 蔣介石

1st & 3rd Chairman of the Nationalist Government of China

In The Bleak Mid-Winter

frosty winds may moan, earth stood hard as iron water like a stone.

Despite being of no religious persuasion, I do love hymns (not as much as 'hers' but that's another story) and In The Deep Mid-Winter has to be one of my favourites!

On the other hand, I have been nominated for an OBE in respect of today's post as it is by and large Other B*gg*r's Efforts.

First of all, this link to an exceptional piece of video footage was sent to me last night by Paul Harris. Taken by one of the Beddington birders in Surrey, with the unlikely moniker of 'Dodgy', I feel sure it will be of interest to 'birders' and 'non-birders' alike - see what you think.

http://vimeo.com/17497303

and on a day when weather conditions could only be described as BITTER, I thought it best to publish a few images from a warmer clime. These are previously unpublished photographs sent to me by fellow traveller Maria Djumic from her 'Castle in Edinburgh' - THANKS Maria, will be in touch albeit when the editing is completed!

Plants, Places & People of Madagascar:-

From a window

Twisted Tree

Ploughing rice paddies

Grape vines, we did try the Malagasy wine which was perfectly palatable

The fruit sellers

Hillside, terraced fields and rice paddies, all that once was 'rain forest'.

Market stalls and

market stall owners children

The paper makers. For centuries the Malagasy people have been making paper overlaid and embossed with real wild flowers.

Short back and sides

Lowland plant

A Zebu herder

The reference to the Deep Mid-Winter was none more apparent than when stood at Ferrybridge this morning. While it was chilly in the cemetery, the number of Redwing and Fieldfare were enough to keep my mind on the job in hand, but skipping Radipole, this was the scene at the bridge.

A band of low, frozen fog extended right across Portland Harbour, 'under' the bridge and across

The Fleet and almost obscuring Chesil Beach altogether. At least c18 Golden Plover had sort the sanctuary of the sea wall close to the Ferrybridge pub, while others passed overhead. Teal and Wigeon had also been flying through, but that was before I arrived, now just a few of each were content to feed close to the shingle. My hands were too cold to hold the binoculars aloft long enough to count the Mediterranean Gulls, but there were well in excess of 100, as was the estimated number of Dunlin. A lone Curlew was also feeding close to the beach, while it seem like just one of yesterdays bar-tailed Godwit had been left to brave the elements here. Red-breasted Merganser, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, in varying numbers, were also present as were c2 Shelduck but it was soon time to go.

The footage of the Common Cranes inspired me to retrieve the Fuji FinePix, my first video camera, from the back of the locker and try a little videoing myself. What better subject than the 'smartest' bird to land in UK in recent times, the Hooded Merganser. Having been judged to be an 'escapee', by the powers that be, it remains on my list as a truly 'wild' bird, and would be prepared to go as far as saying if it is NOT, then Adolf Hitler isn't Margaret Thatcher's father! Nobody could be that wrong? However, first of all I couldn't find it, having to rely on Dick Morris to phone me with its location, then it was diving repeatedly and so far out even the BBC wouldn't have filmed it. It would seem however that I may have 'over egged the custard' with 109MB of whirling Brent Geese video memory which simply doesn't want to 'upload' to the Blog.

A Wild Goose Chase

Remiss of me I know, but the information on the Pale-bellied Brent Goose 'ring return' was sent to me yesterday by Martin Cade, which unfortunately was overlooked. In brief, as the Goose colour ringing project is quite extensive, a short explanation is shown below.

This bird was first ringed at Strangford Lough, Co Down, in October 2009 and spent last winter in Co Kerry, Eire; thanks to Graham McElwaine, the co-ordinator of this marking project, for these details.

Jack Frost had been busy last night, and at first glimps looked like there had been another dusting of snow. The wind had returned to the north and east, making for an extra cold feel, but the saving grace was bright sunlight and an almost clear sky. After the excitement of yesterday, it was back to normal service today with very little of change in the cemetery, except for an increase in Magpie numbers (12), while at Radipole just a few Fieldfare and Redwing were evident.

Pochard a common winter resident.

I know where I'd like this ragged looking juvenile Mute Swan to be on Christmas Day but am not allowed to say!

Another 'colour ringed' bird today, this time a Pied Wagtail. Best efforts will be made to find out its history which we hope to bring you in the future.

In the absence of any other images from today's wander, I am proud to be able to show the seven Orchid photographs submitted by my friend Lorne (Bowie) Edwards to the Hardy Orchid Society Annual Competition. Now, I am certainly no expert on photography, and what I know about Orchids you could write on the back of a postage stamp, but cannot for the life of me understand why not one of these was worthy of a mention at the HOS.

Early Marsh Orchid Purpurella v alba photograph taken in England

Ophrys lacaitae a Sicillean species

The remaining 5 are all Italian and like the Sicillean only have Latin names.

Ophris apulica

Ophris comuta

Ophris speculum

Ophris x incubacia

Ochis tridentata

If you want more, follow the 'link' to Bowie's Web Site
http://www.dorsetorchids.co.uk/

PS

It may be worth mentioning that all prizes were awarded to members of the HOS Committee!

Halcyon Days

the 7 days of Winter when storms don't occur

c34 Wigeon flying over the house first thing this morning was indeed a good omen, and with a further c11 over the cemetery, my first record at that site, endorsed it!

male Wigeon

female Wigeon

Crossing the bye-pass to reach Radipole Lake I came across Nick Thomlinson and Bob Ford who were, despite Nick and my difference, intent on getting me to see their early morning find. There cannot be, I suggest, any such thing as a bad photograph of an Otter in Dorset as there must only be few or none in existence, so these from this morning are pleasing to say the least.

Otter

The first I have seen in England, let alone my home county, this really was a moment to savour as we watched the animal's movement and

predicting its track to gain these images.

Ferrybirdge was once again littered with Brent Geese, but on closer inspection estimated to be holding just 50% of yesterday's total. However, the difference today was that along with a number of Pale-bellied individuals, finally I got to see one of the Black Brant. As a couple of other 'birders' were going to take a look in Portland Harbour, there was surely no harm in joining them and what good luck I did, as the first bird we saw was this

Eider. Fast flying and gone in seconds I was lucky to get half a dozen shot which are the first for this species in Dorset. Elsewhere, I have been more luck as on both the Buchan Alpha oil rig and the River Ythan in Aberdeenshire these bulky Ducks are common and annual.

Male (top) and female Eider on the River Ythan.

As I crossed the foreshore, as the tide receded this Brent Goose, looking a little sickly, allowed fairly close approach so why squander the moment?

While at the Chesil side there were piles of Zostera or Marine Eelgrass which is the object of desire for the Brent Geese here.

Among the 100 or so Dunlin there were these c2 Knot

which didn't hang around to take any pictures of me.

In addition there were also c2 Bar-tailed Godwit

obviously feeling

far less nervy than the Knot.

This Little Egret also presented an opportunity for a photograph, while in addition to those already mentioned, there were c5 Little Grebe, Grey Plover, Redshank and Red-breasted Merganser to enjoy.

On the verge of leaving for the Bill, a phone call from Daragh alerted me to a Red-breasted Goose on Lodmoor, so it was a bus ride to Weymouth and then a walk to the moor. On the way I encountered

c7 female Goosander, and there were also c2 Black-necked Grebe and a single Great Crested Grebe in Weymouth Bay.

There was also another rather unusual bird, swimming (yes swimming) in this weather, rather her than me!

The Red-breasted Goose had kindly awaited my arrival by which time many of the local birding fraternity and a few visitors had seen it,

with the predictable conjecture as to its provenance having broken out. 'Plastic' is the term used to describe any bird that might be considered to be an escapee or other dubious origin, so with many kept in captivity in the UK and this being such a rare occurrence, yes you guessed!

Finally, my last bit of good fortune today while returning to the road, I found this female Goldeneye close to the viewing platform I dub Edward's Folly. Hope to be with you again tomorrow.