Yes, here's my round-up of my top March sightings from the dim and distant past ... and there aren't many of them. Mar 1st Nothing Mar 2nd 1986 My first Med Gull, the Blind Home , Blackpool. They were rare then ..... but not anymore. Mar 3 & 4 Nowt. Mar 5th 1994 Ross's Gull, Sunderland .. TERRRRRIFFFIC. Mar 6th - 10th Not a sausage. Mar 11th 1990 Terek Sandpiper, Blyth ,Northumbs.Ace !! 1990 Pine Bunting, Big Waters, Wideopen, Northumbs. Ace again !! Mar 12th A barren desert of nothingness Mar 13th 1994 Ross's Gull #2, Fleetwood, Lancs ..... blimey. Mar 14th-20th Zilch. Mar 21st. 1992 My first Kentish Plover, Fleetwood, Lancs. Excellent. Mar 22nd Nothing whatsoever. Mar 23rd 1985 White Stork , Bell Busk, N. Yorks. Mar 24th 1991 White-Billed Diver, Holyhead Harbour, Anglesey. Mar 25th Nothing at all, at all. Mar 26th 1987 Laughing Gull, Newcastle General Hospital, after several misses. Mar27th 2004 Alpine Swift ! Scalby Mills, Scarborough. Crikey !! Mar 28-31 A vast plain of emptiness. A pretty slim haul numerically, but some excellent stuff. I've written more details about some of them ... here's the links ... 41-white-billed-diver-twitch-and-straw-boaterists.html 126-the-newcastle-laughing-gull-and-me.html 794-march-2nd-1986.html 843-the-welsh-twitch.html (I can't find my gripping and potentially dangerous Pallid Swift encounter ... ... if any of you know where I've put it, please let me know. ) And now, a suitable (or not) bit of music .... after all, we were all Young Dudes once ....
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My daughter drew this when she was about 7..... Yet another "hoodwink" to add to my collection. As usual I went to the front door at 10pm to lock up, and hung around for a few minutes in the hope of " getting something." Over the years I've had quite a panoply of bird calls that way, all sorts of owls, quite a few waders, geese and suchlike. But last night was something new. Something..yes, something .... was calling like this .. up the scale, and down again... whew whew whew whew whew and it did that about 5 times. ..then .. silence. Bah and double-Bah. I have to admit, I was stumped. I waited and waited but nothing more was heard. It wasn't very far away, it was very distinctive, but I've no idea at all what it was. Well ..the problem is, what resources have we got to track it down ? I've got lots of CDs/tapes/vinyl (!) of bird calls and songs. But .. it takes an age to go through all those... centuries ! And anyway, I can't even find many of them. Then there's the internet. But that takes ages and ages as well. What we need is a key ...... like this .. [1] Weak ............................. 2 Middling ..........................3 Loud ................................. 4 [2] Clearly separate notes 5 Continual stream of song/calls 6 [3] The bird was in flight 7 Bird stationary 8 [4] Deep calls 9 Calls not deep 10 [5] Short pauses between bursts ... Bannerman's Gobbler Long pauses between bursts ... Hardy's Crepuscular [6] Stream of calls lasting more than 2 minutes .... Spodger's Stinker Stream of calls less than 2 minutes .... Spratt's Decisive. ...... and eventually, perhaps, you will track down your hoodwink. Or. of course, not. ... but at least you're in with a chance. If any of you lot out there recognise that call, maybe you could let me know. [email protected] ... or, as a comment. Meanwhile, the magnificent music .. Noir Desir ... "Septembre en Attendant" Can you spot the female Blackcap ? This winter we've had at least 3 Blackcaps frequenting the garden. One male, 2 females. There could well be more. So ... are they going to stay here ? Or are they going back to Germany ? Because, apparently, that's where "our" wintering ones come from. Not Africa. I'm assuming it will be "back to Germany" ... doing the Germany-England route in reverse. And if they're going back there, when ? Plus .. I haven't seen the male for 10 days . And then there will, presumably, be a "Blackcap-Interlude" as we await the spring visitors. I've cobbled together some local first arrival dates from the '90s ... Year '92 '93 '94 '96 '97 '98 '99 First arrival 11Ap 14 Ap 11Ap 10Ap 7Ap 5Ap 27Ma ( I'm very tempted to draw a graph .. it should be ,er, entertaining.) ......lots to think about there .... but now, the music .. ...the wonderful Wir sind Helden ( We are Heroes) and Wenn es Passiert ( when it happens ) .. and it certainly does happen ! Ein Herzschlag nur für mich und die, die bei mir sind Augen auf,
schaut euch das an Wer dafür keine Tränen hat wird morgen blind Wenn ihr das nicht liebt, was dann Jeder liebe das so viel er kann Ein... Ein Blitzschlag nur für mich und die, die bei mir sind Wer jetzt zweifelt sieht nicht klar Ganz egal wie viel davon die Zeit sich nimmt Wer jetzt blinzelt war nicht da Vielleicht ist es wirklich nur ein Jahr Aber ich will niemals fragen wo ich war Wo war ich als das wahr war Ich will da sein, wenn die Zeit gefriert Ich will da sein, wenn sie explodiert Und wenn sich dabei, mein Verstand verliert Ich will da sein, wenn es passiert Ein Herz, ein Schlag, ein Blitz für die, die einsam sind Augen auf schaut euch das an Wollt ihr wirklich zählen wie die Zeit verrinnt Wenn die Welt auch so was kann Vielleicht ist es wirklich nur ein Jahr Aber ich will niemals fragen wo ich war Wo war ich als das wahr war Ich will da sein, wenn die Zeit gefriert Ich will da sein, wenn sie explodiert Und wenn sich dabei, mein Verstand verliert Ich will da sein, wenn es passiert For some unknown reason this morning I was thinking about a proposal years ago to create a forest across the country from coast to coast. So, naturally, I fired up my ancient and massive computer to see if said project had actually got anywhere. And I found this ..... a rather saccharine but brief intro to the scheme ... A Northern Forest in and around the cities of Liverpool, Chester, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull. It’s set to become a reality. And you can be part of it.The community forests in the north – The Mersey Forest, City of Trees, White Rose Forest, and HEYwoods – are working with the Woodland Trust to bring the Northern Forest to life. But why do we need this Northern Forest? An area home to 13 million people, it only has 7.6% woodland cover – much lower than the England average. Our plan for an additional 50 million trees will transform this landscape and create a real asset for the communities that live nearby. By planting trees across the north, the Northern Forest can:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That's all very well, but has anything actually happened ? So ... I looked for more information .. Here's some sort of " road map" to get it done ... but I'm not at all confident about the amount of progress and funding ..read on and see for yourself ... Plans to create a new Northern Forest stretching from Liverpool to Hull have been kick-started by the government. It is providing £5.7m to increase tree cover along a belt spanning Manchester, Leeds and Bradford. The project will cost £500m over 25 years. The balance of the funds will need to be raised by charity. Environmentalists have welcomed the planned 50 million new trees, but say ministers must stop allowing ancient woodland to be felled. The UK has one of the lowest rates of woodland in Europe and the area to be covered by the Northern Forest is one of the most denuded in England, with tree cover less than 8%. The emphasis of the project will be to increase tree cover around major conurbations to 20%. There will also be a focus on river valleys, where there are benefits for flood prevention and soil loss - as well as wildlife. But these areas will soak up funding, leaving many of the northern hills just as bleak and treeless in the coming 25 years. But the Woodland Trust, which is leading the scheme with local Community Forests, says the new wooded areas shouldn't be under-estimated, as they will greatly enhance the environment for people in northern cities. Its conservation director, Austin Brady, said the benefits would be strongest in areas where there's been industrial activity, over-grazing and neglectful farming. He told BBC News: "We're delighted the prime minister's supporting our project - it's great to get the idea of the Northern Forest on the map. "Admittedly the government's cash contribution isn't huge, but it will help us to unlock other funding." 'Supreme irony' There should be more government cash available for landowners to improve the environment by tree planting if farm subsidies are reformed after Brexit, as planned by the Environment Secretary Michael Gove. The government will also review incentives to plant trees, as part of its plan to combat climate change by storing more carbon in soils. Mr Brady also said the Trust hoped to benefit from funds allocated for mitigating the environmental impact of major transport projects expected in the north, such as road-building and HS2. But Paul de Zylva from Friends of Earth told BBC News: "It is a supreme irony that tree planters will have to get funding from HS2, which threatens 35 ancient woodlands north of Birmingham. "You simply can't compare the biodiversity value of new sticks in the ground with ancient forest. "If the government really cared about woodlands it wouldn't be routing a high speed train through them. And it wouldn't be allowing this weight of this project to be carried by charity." 'Cherished assets'The government has been slipping behind schedule on a promise it made to plant 11 million trees. The Woodland Trust say last year saw the lowest level of planting in England for many years - just 1,000 hectares. The forest announcement forms part of the government's long-delayed 25 Year Environment Plan, which will set out how ministers aim to leave the environment in a better state than they inherited it. The report is due this week and environmentalists say it should be judged not on its ambitious sentiments but on concrete policies backed by cash. Commenting on the forest announcement, Mr Gove said: "Trees are some of our most cherished natural assets and living evidence of our investment for future generations. "Not only are they a source of beauty and wonder, but a way to manage flood risk, protect precious species, and create healthier places for us to work and live. "This new Northern Forest is an exciting project that will create a vast ribbon of woodland cover in northern England, providing a rich habitat for wildlife to thrive, and a natural environment for millions of people to enjoy." The description of the project from the Woodland Trust suggests that the forest will be less of a green ribbon and more of a sparsely-threaded doily. Make what you will of all that... and now ...this ... This lockdown business is getting tired and weary now. I'll give you an example of how it has affected me ... yes, tough, unsentimental me. I would actually be pleased (!) to meet The King of Bryher ! Cripes !! Things must be getting bad. Over the last ten months or so I've hardly had a single conversation with any birders at all, and hardly any that I knew by name, even ones I've known for 10, 20, 30 + years. Where are they ? What are they all doing ? This is no doubt happening to a fair % of the population, and it's not good. And this morning after the dismal weather forecast and the dismal-er news, I changed channels .... Cheers was just finishing and the theme tune got going...... Highlight of the day so far ... an unprecedented Rat v Squirrel scrap. Oddly, the Rat won ... and the Squirrel scarpered. Here's a few " King of Bryher" posts ... 168-in-which-i-decide-to-carry-on-being-a-twerp.html 215-my-birding-credentials-have-been-demolished-again.html 357-the-king-of-bryher-surely-a-lost-poem-by-william-topaz-mcgonagall-the- worlds-worst-poet.html What are these cryptic birds..... and just as importantly, why ??? [a] What is this shorebird ? ENOTS [b] What am I .... it's an EEsy one .. **EE**EE*E* [c] This one is a bit trickier ... Penny Casanova [d] This occasional visitor has 4 consecutive vowels [e] What am I ? CHAWFH [f] This bird is the noisy 10th of the 26th. [g] What can this possibly be ......................... GFLAMO [h] Which game bird is a woman's name followed by a man's name ? [i] Which seabird am I ? upuffs upuffs [j] What's this ? ACARDI [k] What kind of finch am I ? LLBI Serendipitously, here's a relevant song .. "We Can Work It Out" featuring your actual Paul McCartney .......... All through these bitter winter months I've got up in the dark, made my breakfast and watched the dark slowly turn to light. I often think of the garden as a stage .... and slowly, very slowly as the lights come on, the birds appear, all playing out their rôles ... the shuffling, timid dunnocks, a gaudy Jay bullying the robins, the various tits looking down from the overhead feeders, the blackbird creeping out tentatively to snatch a peanut fallen from the table, and the magpie putting all of them to flight. The players perform throughout the day, and as night comes they slowly, one by one, leave the stage, to spend the freezing night battling against the icy winds and rain. And over the months and years, they put on their show throughout their little lives, knowing nothing of their spectators, or of their eventual inevitable demise. All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms; And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like the snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lin’d, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion; Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's an appropriate song ... Just up the road from where I live in Fabulous Flintshire there is a house, and it has a garage, and every year a pair of swallows nest there and raise a few young ones. That's been going on for many many years. A few days ago I actually got to talk to the occupants... I was walking past and they were just emerging from their back gate.... and we talked a bit about those swallows. They expressed the joy of having those swallows, and were " so pleased to see them return every year." Oh dear .... I was stupid enough to tell them that it was very unlikely that it was the same pair returning each year .... the average life of your average bog-standard swallow is around 3-4 years. They point blank refused to believe it ... well, they didn't want to believe it. And I felt a right twit for telling them. Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. But ...but .... accepting reality is probably a sensible thing to do in the long term. ... and I've often wondered if we humans are the only creatures that know they will eventually die . I suspect that we are.
Two rarity videos coming up ... The obvious question is ..how many of them did you see ? .. this one is a "subset" of the previous one ..... or is it ? If you had to review those two videos for some bird-spotting magazine, how would you rate them, and why. Lots to think about there ..... but now it is Song Time ... The Stone Roses ... "I am the Resurrection" ..and here's the "sing-along-with-The-Stone-Roses Version ... A while ago I showed you a short video about birding in Central Park, New York.... and very interesting it was. And yesterday as I was getting back from a "frozen solid" walk round my local park ( Wiggly Park)(See Pics above) I made a mental " compare and contrast" between it and its Trans-Atlantic rival. There was a huge ,yawning gap between the two ...... what a surprise. Oh dear oh dear . And to rub it in ... here's an excellent Central Park birding video for you to admire .... and for me to go " grrrr" . It is rather long ( as is Central Park) ... but absorbing and fascinating... so I suggest you do it in smaller chunks. Me and The Significant Otter are almost the only people in our extended family that have never been to the USA ... but I, of course, have been to Lithuania. Ha ! Anyway, enough of all this point-scoring nonsense ... let's have some relevant music ... |
AuthorThat's the author up there ... I was young and sprightly then. Archives
October 2022
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