The 'Feelgood' Factor

Joy, my next door neighbour, and I spent a full hour last night looking at Saturn. While my 60x magnification Swarovski telescope ain't 'Hubble' we feel sure the planets 'rings' could be seen as it passes fairly close to earth during this phase. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter and if you listen to The Manfred Mann Earth Band you know Jupiter is the 'Joy Bringer' - she was already there!

This morning it was touch and go as to exactly what I was going to do. eventually deciding on a few hours in the Warehan Forest. Redwing and Song Thrush still held centre stage both in the cemetery and at Radipole, but once again the Hooded merganser had no intention of being videoed. A small party of Bearded Tits were performing well outside the Radipole Visitor's Centre but the light was bad and although they struck a pose the images were poor.

Awaiting the X53 to Wareham the rain clouds seemed to be forming, and 5 minutes before departure I 'bottled it' opting for a morning of sorting myself out. Shopping, banking, washing up and dhobying have all been neglected of late, for far more important pursuits, but by noon most of these had been redressed. That's when, as light rain fell, I opted for a bottle of wine and Dr Feelgood albeit a bastardised version of the original Les Brilleaux (vox & Harp), Wilko Johnson (axe), John B Sparks (bass) and 'The Big Figure' aka John Martin (drums). Overtaken by strains of their first offering Roxette / Route 66, Brilleaux is still shaking 'like the proverbial leaf on a tree' and offering harp as good as Musslewhite , while the 'genre police' attempt to label them, they are nothing short of a 'pub band'. It has to be said, despite courting an argument from the likes of Brinsley Shwartz, Kilburn and the Highroads, Echo and the Bunnymen et al, they are 'the best' pub band?

Some headway has been made into finding out the origin of the 'colour ringed' Pied Wagtail feature a couple of days ago. RSPB Warden Luke Phillips tells me it could have been he who ringed the bird and that it is local, apart from which I still await the fine detail.

Some readers have written to say they have experienced difficulty in accessing Bowie's Dorset Orchid Website, so it is hoped this link will rectify that.

http://www.ukwildorchids.org.uk/

While back in 'Dodgy' territory, this is his latest offering - 'click' and see!
http://vimeo.com/17605921

In the absence of any local bird reports, I resort, once again, to the Colombia trip of late 2009 in the hope of brightening a dull (only weather wise) day.

Black-backed Bush Tanager

Black-billed Mountain-Toucan

Blossomcrown

Bogota Rail

Buffy Hummingbird

Chauco Guan

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker

Dusky Starfrontlet

Golden-fronted Redstart

Golden-headed Quetzal

Munchique Wood-Wren

Purplish Tanager

As we go to press, the Jack Bruce (Cream, Graham Bond Organisation and many more), Robin Trower (Procol Harum) and Gary Husband (session) offering Seven Moons is on the DVD turntable - I'm predicting a 'late night' - Manana!

What's it all about
Anyone in doubt
I don't want to go until I've found it all out!
NSU - Cream

A Fleet-ing Glimpse

With the potential of a few good things in the area this morning it was a bit of a quandary as to which direction would be best, but an early call from Daragh had me heading for Radipole Park Drive (RPD). Having already recorded many singing birds in the cemetery, in complete contrast to yesterday, and a Common Buzzard overhead at Radipole it was good to find the

Red-crested Pochard (R-c P) among a large number of other wildfowl opposite the tennis courts at RPD. Also in attendance were Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler. Tufted Duck and something of a surprise

this Pintail (along with many dozens of Pochard) a really elegant bird that visits the lake all too infrequently. It was just as I was getting in range when 2 other visitors arrived in the shape of a (the) Common Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk that cut along the line of reeds at breakneck speed. This had the effect of putting about 80% of the Ducks to flight, leaving only the brave or foolhardy,

including the Pintail and the R-cP. However, it wasn't long before most were back but unfortunately not the Pintail.

The initial report had been of just c2 R-cP but once the flock had settled there were seen to be c4,

a single male plus

c3 females. Before leaving the area, I checked out a familiar call coming from one of the large fir trees to find a Firecrest, which was not obliging enough to allow a photograph.

There had been a tentative plan to take a walk along part of The Fleet, a body of water that lies between the shingle bank of Chesil Beach and the mainland west of Weymouth, but there had also been another call from Daragh alerting me to c4 Woodlarks north of Lodmoor. Coincidentally, this was at the same time that the Chickerell bus arrived so taking this as an omen, it was the Fleet. A short walk from Chickerell Village is the old

Gateway to Fleet Road, and while I have no idea of the origin of the 'flag waving hands' on the wrought iron gateposts, think they look both ancient and novel. In turn the road leads to

and it's row of quaint cottages, and as if to add a little more drama a

Great Spotted Woodpecker landed, albeit briefly, in a nearby tree.

This is also the location, as regular readers may remember, of Moonfleet Church which features in the novel (and film) of the same name. Those wishing to read and see more of this fascinating place might like to use the 'search engine', on the Home Page and type in '12 June 2010' or 'Yesterday Once More' on this Blog to access the relevant page.

From here, you meet the Fleet at

Butter Street Cove where Mute Swans are ever present, the world famous Abbotsbury Swannery being only a mile or two to the west. Walking east you immediately gain the advantage of high ground to view a wide expanse of

the 'watercourse' with Chesil Beach in the background and the Dorset Coast stretching to the west as far as Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast of England. Also viewable from here are just some of the 'thousands' of wildfowl which thrive on the Fleet during the winter months.

Heading east, East Fleet Coast-Guard Cottages soon hove into view, as can on a day like today:-

c2 Knot (known these days as Red Knot), c15 Little Egret, c5 Turnstone and probably 'thousands of Wigeon and Brent Geese.

Red Knot

Some of the c31 Oystercatcher that were feeding in fields close by, and on closer inspection you should be able to see a single Black-tailed Godwit (honest) second from right!

In addition a Greenshank plus at least c4

Redshank appeared, the photos, for illustration purposes, are from the archive. As I made my way up the Tidmoor path to Charlestown, a

Woodlark landed on the track just ahead

and the hedgerows suddenly became alive with Redwing.

It was only on arrival at home when it dawned on me just how 'over dressed' I had been today, hot as a freshly baked loaf I looked in the mirror to notice the 'plimsoll line' the sun had left across my forehead where my hat had been. In conclusion of this walk and the area, which I don't wander half as often as I should, it is plainly apparent why the likes of Brett Spencer, Ian Dodd et al love this place so much.

Finally, this run of photographs were sent to me a couple of days ago from my friend and Chief Engineer of the Technip 'deepwater pipelay vessel' Deep Constructor just off the coast of Recife, Brazil as they commenced their passage back to UK. They are said to be from the Cingino Dam, Italy and if authentic, are little short of amazing.

It is reported McDonald's intend building an outlet on the face of the dam wall in early 2011?

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