Friday 29 April 2011

Easterlies

Going East for the next few days. Could do with some drizzle on the coast to put them all down. Could be a good weekend guys and gals. So fuck the Royal wedding and fuck the DIY. Saying that it's 15% off at B&Q all weekend so that's good news for Kate as she's sure to need some new backdoors.





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Tuesday 19 April 2011

Twitch Aggro

Continuing Spurn's excellent start to the spring, a Savi's Warbler was found at Sammies.  This is only the second record for the "greater Spurn area" and follows other local megas that have graced the Observatory already this spring.  The White-Spot Bluethroat was the first for 50-odd years, the Red-Crested Pochard the first for the official recording area, and the Purple Heron only the second record ever, plus the Ring-necked Parakeet that is a pending addition to the Spurn and Yorkshire list.  Spurn megas!

With Nicola and the girls in tow, we had to stop at shop to get cigarettes, then we had to stop at Patrington to get drinks for children even though I'd told her to fill bottles up beforehand, then Nicola had a fag 'whilst we're stopped', then we got to Sammies 5 minutes after it was last seen then never, ever, ever, ever seen again.  This is of course Nicola's fault.  I have of course suddenly decided to rebuild our patio even though there's nothing wrong with it.  This weekend. 

I gave it some time then decided that the little critter was sitting low for a while in the mid-day sun and thought that it would become more active and show after tea.  This plan was implemented but was not successful.

On my first attempt I was stood around talking to this bloke with no hat on, when another bloke wandered past in a mint green cap.  Another bloke in a wide brimmed hat said to the mint-green capped man "Dear oh dear!"  At this point I must add that these blokes were definitely in their 70s.  The conversation continued:
MintGreenCap:  "I beg you pardon?"
WideBrimmedHat  "Dear oh dear, you could've walked 'round"
MGC:  "Erm....what?"
WBH:  "I was looking through my binoculars when you walked across right in front of me"
MGC:  "Well what did you want me to do?"
WBH:  "I mean, how anti-social can you be?"
MGC:  "You ignorant pig"
WBH:  "Me?  You must be joking"
At this point the man in the Mint Green Cap visually started to lose his cool with the man in the Wide Brimmed Hat and said "Listen mate if you're looking for trouble you've found it..." and started taking his tripod off his shoulder.  "...now go away and don't come here again!" he continued as he walked off.
Twitch aggro!



What you fucking looking at?
How anti-social can you be? 



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Thursday 14 April 2011

More ramblings...

I never spent much time in school,
but I've taught ladies plenty,
It's true I hire my body out for pay, hey hey!
I've gotten burnt over Cheryl Tiegs,
Blown up for Raquel Welsh,
But when I wind up in the hay, it's only hay! Hey hey!
Shite.

The Fall Guy is on just before my Sky+ series-linked-recordings of The Professionals so a little bit of it gets 'taped' due to Sky+ Series Linkage.  I've told you all about this before but I lied really as I don't really watch repeats (what you say?*) of The Fall Guy as I think it's a bit shit.  It's easy to know when The Fall Guy is about to end and Professionals is about to begin because you always see Colt Seavers in the bath smoking a cigar at the end of the Fall Guy.  And Colt Seavers always has loads of people around his bath whilst bathing!  What's all that about?  And Colt Seavers always raises an eyebrow and looks at one of the people gathered around his bath and the camera freezes that portrait as the credits roll.  I press 'play' at this point, thus coming out of 'x30' mode and watch the beginning of Professionals.  I told you I'd show you a video of the beginning just to show you how good it is.  It just starts.  No titles, no introduction, it just starts,and gives you a three minute taster of the episode to come.

Here is a beginning bit and you've got to admit that even though it's dated (they were made 1977-1981) it's still pretty fucking cool:


Action!


Now just watch the beginning of the music again. It's that split-second pause just before the Cortina comes flying through the glass building that does it even though it's not that obvious in this clip, you might have to watch it on TV or You Tube or summat, not that anyone is remotely interested. The glass building is actually the one on the corner of Anlaby Road and Ferensway in Hull.  Or did I just make that up?



Thrills!



Anyway.

Water's Edge Country Park was devoid of Slavonian Grebes on Saturday when I took the girls for walks and talks and sandwiches and slide action.  I managed 3 Swallows, several Chiffs and at least 6 Willow Warblers holding territory, one of which sat atop a tree just near to our chosen sandwich and boiled egg resting place.  I set my somewhat dated scope up on a tripod which dates from Medieval times (it is carved from only stone and iron) so that Ruby could have a look at a few things.



 I showed this to her school friends and they all pointed and laughed
at her for being a nerd and will now continue to mock her
throughout her childhood just as they did me. 
This is why I'm scarred.  Scarred! 
My whole life ruined due to ornithology and Ben Sinclair's dad
who took us to Spurn every bastard week. 
I hope you're satisfied, Brian Sinclair you bastard.
I could've been somebody.



"Did you see it?" I asked.
I think that means yes.



I had a raptor go over our house, going North yesterday.  I ran in the back garden and had reasonable views but mainly from the rear.  It wasn't a Buzzard, my unaided views from the front of the house confirmed that, with wings slightly narrower and tail slightly longer in proportion than (Common) Buzzard.  It flew with wings held back, ala Buzzard when they do their kind of 'stoop' but the wings were still flapping, creating quite a distinctive wing shape.  I don't know what it was.
There.

After a distinct lack of pictures on this blog lately due to me updating from my phone, I thought I'd make it up to you with 2 Videos, 2 Pictures and a FREE dot-to-dot of The Fall Guy for you to print out and complete.  You could even print it out life size and wear it as a smart mask on completion just like the Ian Beale mask I gave to you all FREE back in April.  Click HERE! to take advantage of this extraordinary offer.



Colt Seavers starred in The Fall Guy as Lee Majors
which is a stupid made-up name.


* just for Big Neilo



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Wednesday 6 April 2011

I've been out and about but I've not got much to tell you really. Chiffs are the only summer returns locally, still no hirundines or other.

As I've mentioned before there was a regular Spurn threeball years ago of Benny, Adam and myself who used to bus it down to Spurn at weekends and school holidays. We took quite detailed notes which included weather, wind and of course the days sightings. It was Benny who kept the notebook for the three of us. Unfortunately Benny emigrated to Australia and took with him our records. It would be good to see these but I don't think I ever will again. Post-Benny, I have a few entries of my own including a couple of decent days at Spurn:

15th May 1994
Tree Pipit
Redstart
Wood Warbler
Golden Oriole
Bluethroat
Jay (uncommon at Spurn)
And Short Toed Lark. Not bad. But then this:

21st September
Redstart (14)
Black Red (3)
Pied Fly (8)
Ring Ouzel
Then it gets better....
Barred Warbler (2)
Red Breasted Fly
Red Backed Shrike
Then it gets better again....
Woodchat
Ortolan
Little Bunting
Then it gets a bit blurred.....
BLACK MOTHER FUCKING GUILLEMOT!
Which is not exactly mega but it's rare all the same at Spurn. This is where it gets a bit blurred. Was there really a BLACK MOTHER FUCKING GUILLEMOT? Can anybody tell me? It's 17 years ago and I have vague memories of being on Clubleys and some bloke putting me onto it but before looking at my notes I didn't think I'd seen BMFG at Spurn.
So:
1 Was there a BMFG recorded for that date?
2 I'm just going to drop a sledgehammer off at a job.




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Sunday 3 April 2011

lists....

1 Chip
2 Sauce
3 Frying
4 Griddle
5 Wok

I'm into pan listing at the minute.


[groan]


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