Rhythm Of The Rain - The Cascades

Rained off before 07:00 today, so returned to base to get on with a bit of homework. Lucky then that there are a few photographs outstanding from earlier in the week which included another encounter with the American rhythm

HOODED MERGANSER, with us for many months now.

It has been favouring the waterline catwalks, on the Gurkha side of the Westham Bridge sluices, and seemingly moving little. This may be due to moulting plumage as it is now in full eclipse.

At Ferry Bridge numbers of RINGED PLOVER remain around the 100 mark,

while TURNSTONE amounted to just 5.

SANDERLING were represented by a couple

and DUNLIN by about 50.

Slightly more unusual was the appearance of c2 YELLOW WAGTAIL,

while continuing on the 'migrant' theme

there were c5 Wheatear close by plus an overflying Whimbrel.

STARLING numbers were also up on my last visit,

now being well up in the 30's

while small flocks of LINNET forage among the Tamarisk.

Only c3 MEDITERRANEAN GULLs today, but it was now time

to continue to Portland Top Hill

and to the High Angle Battery close to the VERNE CITADEL pictured. A labyrinth of earthworks including one of the 2 Prisons and World War II Fuel Dumps and maybe in the future a storage point for Natural Gas?

Here too are 4 stone bridges that cross the depression that was once the track for transporting Portland Stone from the top of the Island to the Quays below.

From this point you can see part way across West Bay,

 and here it is hoped the Information Board is of some help.

 The small estate of TILLYCOOMBE lies below here and as you walk further west

the more of the Bay and Chesil Beach opens to view. The reason for this visit had been in the hope of re-locating a

HOOPOE which has been seen here over the last couple of days.

Unfortunately no luck with that, but thought it worthwhile to publish these images of a bird seen at the Bill last year.

There were also a good number of WALL BUTTERFLIES on the win along with a few 'Blues' which remained unidentified.

Finally, on a sour note, last Friday the Warden at the Portland Bird Observatory awoke to find some CRETIN had stolen a number of 'mist nets' from the field opposite the Obs. Not to be too Draconian, let's bring back Hanging that's what I say!

Goin' To My Hometown - Rory Gallagher

One of the final words, but not visits, on Cork, Republic of Ireland goes, quite rightly, to the

GARNISH GUEST HOUSE

If you only have the slightest inkling that one day you may visit the vibrant, charming and wonderfully exciting city of CORK in Eire, then please click onto this web-site and commit details to your diary. The ultimate accolade would be if you truly put 'hand on heart' and swear you didn't like it, then I will foot the bill!

On arrival you are met by the owner, whose name we foolishly did not note, offering the most genuinely warm welcome you could ever receive along with a complimentary 'Cream Tea'.

There is a method to this madness, as Jim the Medic would tell you, as munching through an array of pasties and sipping fine teas or coffee a feeling of well-being overcomes you along with a few minor

Physical Changes as well. In full Leprechaun mode you will be truly ready to enjoy all the city has to offer.

In addition, each time we returned to the house we were offered tea and coffee along with a huge plate of cakes and pastries, free of charge, much needed by your correspondent slaving over yet another computer glitch! Some mention should be made of the breakfast menu that consists of 'traditional' grilled, scrambled eggs with smoked Salmon, a 'fish of the day', fruits, pastries et al but best of all Porridge with either Bailey's Irish Cream or Jamison's Irish Whisky - now that's the way to start any party.

Directly opposite is the University of Cork standing in magical grounds, along with

bus routes and main roads to all parts of the Emerald Isle.

Just a few incidental photographs, not previously published,

just before describing my last couple of hours in Ireland. With Ian gone at noon on Sunday and the others already departed I was left struggling with the 'photoless Blog' and a taxi booked for 13:00. Ideally, it would have been fantastic to have visited another of my all time GUITAR HEROES, but time was pressing and the car was awaiting. Telling the driver of my missed opportunity he announced "we'll soon put that to rights" while executing a U-turn.

Arriving at the cemetery just 15 minutes later and with the help of a local who was conveniently placed

I was soon paying my respects to the man who Jimi Hendrix himself, in answer to the question "how does it feel to be the Best Guitarist in the World"

(posed by a New Musical Express reporter) replied, "best go and ask

RORY GALLAGHER"! My trip had certainly been EDGED IN BLUE take a listen to a genius at work. If that were not enough of a finale, stepping off the train in Weymouth there stood 2 beautiful Ladies from the Orient,

 

none other than SYENNY (Shenny) LEE from Taiwan and WEI GE from China, who I had befriended a few weeks ago. Strangely we had exchanged e-Mails just a few days ago to arrange a day out before each of them return to their respective countries.

and what with the whirl of the Olympics and Ireland I almost forgot about Team GB's Women's Beach Volleyball players. Great Britain women's pair Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullin came from a set down to beat Canada in their opening Olympic match at Horse Guards Parade. Dampney and Mullin lost the first set 21-17 but claimed the next two sets 21-14 and 15-13 to win their Group F tie.OK, no medal but we have to remember the massive effort that goes to just becoming an Olympian, and I doubt we have seen the last of these 2 fine athletes!

What about this for Great Britain's future warship? At a glance not a lot different to my first ship in the Royal Navy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19312378

 HMS KEPPEL

Man of the World - Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac

 Shall I tell you about my life
They say I'm a man of the world
I've flown across every tide
And I've seen lots of pretty girls

One thing the Band of Gypsies could never be accused of is not getting the maximum out of a gig. Yesterday's post was only the first part of the game but it was considered likely too long winded to publish both halves on the same day. So, here we are after Blarney Castle at about 14:00 entering the

 

SIN É Live Music Bar, Cork  for the afternoon céilidh.

I don't recall the band's name but they were already there and started playing soon after we had got our Murphy's.

A Whole Lotta Led always starts things off on the right note,

but one glimpse of the Uilleann Pipes (complete with elbow-bellow) did it for me. The undoubted maestro of this haunting instrument is Cumbrian Troy Donockley, to hear him at his best take a listen to the album Passengers by the band Mostly Autumn.

Acoustic Guitar and Flute

were joined by the Bodhrán, an Irish frame drum,

and a Guinness or three, followed by a visit to

for a couple bottles of decent vino

and a very tasty dinner before making for

The Bodega Night Club the other side of the River Lee. Time for a chat with Jim and a chance to straighten the hat. There had already been some mention of the Peter Green lookalike in Sin E

but it was about to be cranked up a few notches by these 2 gentlemen who simply wouldn't have it that I was not 'the man'.

They in turn introduced me to Kate O'Shea, Events and Promotions Manager both here and at the Crane Lane Theatre, with her and I hitting it off immediately,

while Craig and Jim had a little jig.

The next photo shot was 'in the round' but now time to spread ourselves about and meet more people. Mostly female (no complains there) but by now the days 'hellraising' was starting to take its toll. What a great vibe, a really exciting place to be

and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we don't all come back again, preferably SOON!

Some of the original manuscripts, ledgers and wine that was found in the vaults when being converted into this nightclub.

We also met up with David, in the blue shirt, and shared a couple of bottles of wine along with 3 members of the 'in-house' band Renegade.

Well, looks to me every bit as though someone is ready to leave

so as the City Hall bell struck 3a.m.

 we poured ourselves into a taxi and headed for bed. What a Day, What a Gig and What a Town!

 Sláinte Mhaith - Marillion

A hand held over a candle in angst fuelled bravado
A carbon trail scores a moist stretched palm
Trapped in the indecision of another fine menu
And you sit there and ask me to tell you the story so far
This is the story so far

From the dream on the barbed wire at Flanders and Bilston Glen
From a Clydeside that rusts from the tears of it's broken men
From the realisation that all we've been left behind
Is to stand like our fathers before us in the firing line
Waiting on the whistle to blow

Would the last one to leave please blow out the lights!