Deep & Crisp & Even the Bad Times Are Good

Not every one's cup of meat, but undeniably Radiohead are 5 of the most talented musicians on the planet as we speak! Reason then for me to pay them a re-visit at the Astoria Theatre, London last night (via DVD that is).

Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985 by fellow school friends, and since University Graduates

Thom Yorke (vocals, guitars, piano), Jonny Greenwood (guitars, keyboards, harmonica, various other instruments), Colin Greenwood (bass guitar, synthesisers), Ed O'Brien
(guitars, backing vocals), Phil Selway (drums, percussion)

A personal view would describe their music as singularly original, no one else in the world conjures up a sound such as this, which can waiver from frenzy to pure subtlety in the course of a few chords let alone tracks. Yorke's voice belies his instrumental talents, which are showcased on 'Prove Yourself', allowing him to captivate the audience solo if needs be. The Greenwood brothers are surely a game of two halves, with younger sibling Jonny's frenetic guitar style contrasting with Colin's calculated and unique bass licks and almost Wymanesque physical stance. In any other band, O'Brien would be referred to as 'rhythm guitarist' but this is a 'duel lead' outfit and he is surely that. Finally, as I watch Phil Selwey at work it is reminiscent of watching the world Rubik's Cube champion retaining his title, not a second of 'stick time' wasted!

With the exception of Radiohead's 2007 offering 'In Rainbows', I own their full catalogue and have to agree with the majority of pundits that there finest hour was the 'OK Computer' album, with highlights being 'Karma Police', 'No Surprises' and 'Lucky'. However, for my personal pinnacle I'd have to return to their first album 'Pablo Honey' and that most haunting of songs,

Creep (abridged version)

When you were here before, couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel, your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather, In a beautiful world
I wish I was special, you're so very special

But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doin' here?
I don't belong here

I don't care if it hurts, I wanna have control
I want a perfect body, I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice, when I'm not around
You're so very special, I wish I was special

Chorus

Whatever makes you happy, whatever you want
You're so very special, I wish I was special

Chorus

There are 'free' downloads out there, take a listen.

There was even more snowfall before darkness fell yesterday afternoon, so with the predicted overnight freeze and a seriously heavy hail storm at 04-00, it didn't bode well for walking conditions this morning. As it happened, the hailstones froze and made for a non-slippery surface which also added to the grip underfoot allowing me for one to get out and about as usual.

The extent of the additional snow/hail fall could be gauged by the cover on the Bincombe Bumps

as compared to yesterday's photograph.

However, the overnight temperature must have been much reduced, as the whole of Radipole Lake, with exception of the northern quarter, was frozen just about solidly. A view from Westham Bridge towards the Gurkha Restaurant.

Avian movements were restricted to a few dozen Redwing along with the occasional Fieldfare, while a number of Common Snipe flew into the non-frozen margins in search of food. There were two minor highlights, the first before leaving home as a group of c7 Tufted Ducks flew overhead (an addition to the 'from home list') and this

male Pintail on the island outside of the Visitor's Centre at Radipole.

I am told that this individual, which looks as though it has had a tussle with the likes of a Peregrine or Fox, has been a frequent visitor to the lake of late. It isn't however the one seen associating with the Red-crested Pochard a few days ago, as that had a full 'pin-tail' intact.

and finally a few more

Snapshots of the World (from the archive)

Me & the Skinny Kid (Jim the Medic) at Koto Bridge, Banjul, Gambia.

Fraternising with a lovely lady (the Little Mermaid) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Getting 'the Bullet' from Sapporo, Japan.

Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

If this lad had hung on in school he wouldn't be a window cleaner!

This shot proves how puffed out you can get looking for Wallcreeper - close to Golyam Perecik (the seventh highest peak in the country), Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria.

Waxwing Lyrical

Looking outside at 04-00 this morning there was no sign of the impending freeze, but by 07-00 things were completely different, a 'white-out'. Well, not quite but there had been a dusting of snow, but little more than a quarter that fell last week.My arrival at the cemetery coincided with a text from Bob Ford alerting me to a single Waxwing he had just seen flying across Radipole Lake and in my direction. That would certainly have been a welcome addition to the 'patch list', but a search of all the berry baring bushes came to naught.

Apart from a few Redwings the area was quiet, but of some interest was a trail of these small mammal prints in the snow which I can only think might be those of a Stoat or Weasel?

From the edge of the bye-pass it could be seen that as usual the Ridgeway Hills to the North of Weymouth had copped their share of the snow.

Some of the tumuli (these close to the village of the same name are locally known as Bincombe Bumps) looked how they were intended when built 3000 years ago when the outer cladding would have been chalk.

At Radipole the Redwings continued to whirl in the sky, with a few Fieldfare for company, while this single Scaup (left) was the first of the species I have photographed in Dorset. In addition, a Water Rail showed itself briefly as dis both Great Spotted Woodpecker and Reed Bunting.

At Ferrybridge the view towards the hill was quite picturesque

while at the other side of the road c5 Little Grebe were feeding close to on of the boat landing stages as a single male Goldeneye, plus what could have been as many as 5 females were also seeking food but a good deal further away. In the eye of the brisk north westerly breeze it was cold, so with little else to hold me here I headed for home. Lots to there with celebrations almost upon us, so I busied myself preparing for the first of these, a mini dinner party on Tuesday.

In my back garden the House Sparrows continue to thrive, but the appearance of this Pied Wagtail, also finding food, was a nice bonus.

Snapshots of the World

Stela Stone, one of the 'Great Glyphs' of the Mayan civilisation Tikal, Guatemala circa 700a.d.

The earthquake ravaged cathedral Antigua, Guatemala.


Central Pyramid Copan complex, Honduras.

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica.

Finally, I generated this map last night to show the world wide spread of the Bagsy Blog readership. Modern technology continues to fascinate and amaze me!

I'm So Glad - Cream

As far as temperature goes, there was little or no sign this morning of the impending 'cold snap' as predicted by the weather forecasters, but it was the sky, or lack of it, that told the story. Completely obscured by the most foreboding clouds it seemed inevitable there would be some precipitation before the day was out, and there was!

Very quiet once again on the bird front, this female Goosander on Radipole Lake was the only sighting worthy of notebook status but there were a couple of other things to keep the mind active.

It wasn't long before I encountered Terry Coombes (close to the Gurkha Restaurant top left) overseeing yet another session of Wildfowl ringing. By laying a trail of corn and bread for the Ducks, they are very easily tempted to get withing arms length, but then comes the tricky part of snatching them from the water.

This is deftly done by Luke Phillips who is seen here with yet another Tufted Duck

which is gently placed in a sack prior to 'ringing' and, with all biometric measurements taken, returned unharmed to the lake.

I have to admit to a quiet chuckle, every time I see this operation, at the story some time ago in the Dorset Echo, reporting these people as 'stealing' the ducks for the restaurant trade. I'm sure the well meaning member of the public who reported them has long since been forgiven?


At last, here is a short footage of the Hooded Merganser

'diving now'!

On the beach, the familiar sight of this man who regularly feeds the host of Carrion Crows was the last of my avian delights for the day as I had far more interesting things to do - SHOPPING! Not that I've ever tried it, but I feel it would be preferable to stick a needle in my eye, but there comes a time for each of us.

A trip to Dorchester always softens the blow, plus a new pair of boots, 2 dozen Quail's eggs, an oven ready Guinea fowl, 2 bottles of Sauternes and a grit lump of mature Stilton made it all worthwhile.

Back home, I continued what has been a 3 day retrospective listen to the music of 60's iconic trio 'Cream', and coupled with a visit from fellow 'birder' and music buff Dick Morris, I wish I'd stayed home all day. Last night I played, among others, their first album

on which they render their own interpretation of the Willy Dixon penned classic 'Spoonful'. When Dick arrived the Royal Albert Hall Reunion gig was on the turntable, and coincidentally the same track, which was the catalyst for some serious, in depth muso chat.

I had to relate to him how this track alone had captured me, and enslaved me forever as an ardent Blues follower. On a late November evening in Southsea, Hampshire in 1963 I visited the Kimbles Club on Osbourne Road to be confronted by a group of 'Herbert's ' under the heading of 'The Falling Leafs'. I was immediately captivated by their renditions of 'black blues' numbers allowing me an accurate idea of when I was first sold on the genre. Returning home on Christmas leave a couple of weeks later, I reported to my mum (also something of a muso) that something was about to visit us, the likes of which we had never heard before!

This was my present from her that year, which includes in the play-list not only Mr Dixon's number the the equally dramatic Buddy Guy composition 'The First Time I Met The Blues', how appropriate! The rest is history.

I have encountered the 3 members of 'Cream', under various guises over the years and as mentioned in yesterdays post both Bruce & Baker as part of the Graham Bond Organisation. Clapton unwittingly led me to another dimension when I first saw him perform at the Southampton, Ritz with what has long been my top British Blues Band - John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, but the most amusing of all these encounters involved Ginger Baker.

Arriving in the small and quaint South African town of Tulbagh, priority was a bed for the night, which

mine host Lucy was able to provide at less than extortionate prices.

I don't remember the tariff but it was certainly the best value B&B the 'Fat Kid (Jim the Medic' and I had ever encountered.

That evening we ate, among excellent company but that's another story, at a little al fresco restaurant just up the road. There, to cut a long story short, we were told of the town's most celebrated resident, one Mr Peter Edward 'Ginger' Baker, and how he regularly took lunch at another eatery just around the corner. Next day, at the suggested hour, we too dined there rubbing shoulders with the great man at the next table, and it was the following day as we left town I nearly suffered a broken neck.

Passing by this rather opulent property complete with horse stable (the blue roofs) polo field

and swimming pool the Skinny Youth suddenly hit the anchors shouting "did you see that". I was sure he had, at long last found me Bennett's Woodpecker, but no, he had seen

this sign at the entrance to the Cream drummer's residence - we didn't venture in!

and finally, as I was once again editing photographs from the Madagascar trip last night, this one of a Yellow-billed Kite, caught my fancy.

More Of The Same

The tentative plan for today was to meet up with my new 'birding' mate Mark Hill, but it was a loose arrangement with no time or place arranged. I do like to get to 'the office' early, and as I did so

the Sun peeked above the buildings on the Weymouth seafront as I took a first scan across Radipole Lake. It certainly had the feel of another quiet day but as the weather was bright, sunny and not what you could describe as cold, best enjoyed considering what is predicted for the next few days.

Again Long-tailed Tits abound, this just one bathed in early morning rays along the Buddleia Loop where already the lagoon had frozen over again. At the shelter a Marsh Harrier flew up to the North Pool area where already there was a Common Buzzard sat on a bush. Otherwise it was similar to the last few days with a Water Rail putting in a brief appearance (always a welcome sight), as what looked like the same group of

c6 Black-tailed Godwit

carried out their ablutions close to the Visitor's Centre.

Here, one is obligingly showing the 'black tail' and diagnostic white wing bars, while across the water a number of Common Snipe seemed recently arrived taking advantage of today's lower water level.

Still determined to get video footage of that striking little duck the Hooded Merganser, I made for the sluices but again it couldn't be found.

Out of sheer frustration I did take this short passage of Tufted Duck, which hope will suffice until we can bring you the real star of the show!

A short text proved that Mark had walked north over the bridge only a few seconds after I had cleared to the south, but in the event we met up and were soon on our way to Lodmoor. There we walked the northern and eastern perimeters with little to show for it, but on the south path these

Coots made for an interesting and maybe regimented picture. Further along we found the Long-billed Dowitcher which was one of only 3 species of Wader we saw today, the others being c2 Dunlin and just a handful of Lapwing.

Similarly to Monday, c2 Common Buzzards were present (this one seemingly having befriended a Magpie)

but soon flew off across the Moor, while the second seemed content sat atop

one of the methane breather pipes which relieves the now redundant council tip of this unwanted gas.

Almost back to the exit and I heard what I thought was a Firecrest in the waterside bushes,

and with a degree of patience we were rewarded with a few glimpses of one of my personal favourites. There are no apologies for dragging these 2 images out of the archive, as I would happily publish such shots every day.

Our final sighting on the Moor was this Blackbird enjoying one of the last of the (feral) apples that grow close to Weymouth Bay Avenue. These trees are thought to have originated again from domestic council rubbish tipping?

To complete our days observations we returned to Ferrybridge, where the male Goldeneye was still present, but no sign of the 2 fems. However, a female Goosander had turned up (will that do?) as c3 Sheduck flew across the Fleet and out to the open sea. All else were a few dozen Red-breasted Merganser and the now 'winter resident' Little Grebes. We'll have to see what the promised 'cold snap' of the next few days brings!