The Beauty and the Beast

Hello folks, this blog is a rather impromptu affair inspired by 'Star Trekking Across the Ouse-iverse' - a no doubt drug induced blog featured on my great friend Graeme's wonderful Imperfect and Tense blog.

I have just been reading his updates from the weekend and his trip to Welney and the Ouse Washes. Unfortunately, what spoilt a lovely day for Graeme was going down with a severe cold and when he got home having to retire to bed. Given the nature of the resulting blog the next day, I reasoned that what ever medication he was taking for his cold then I could do with some of that the next time I have man flu!

One of our joint followers (welcome to my random world Katie Nature ID) commented on the near similarity between Graeme's wonderful picture of a distant Ely Cathedral taken from the Ouse Washes with somewhere nearer to where she lives - the power plant at Elkhorn Slough, near Moss Landing, California.

Ely Cathedral (c Imperfect and Tense)

I have been to Elkhorn Slough, in particular Moonglow Dairy Farm! When we went to the reserve it was just about to close and we never got a chance to go back, but we did go to the dairy twice! Maybe its true - we can bird 'till the cows come home? So that readers can make their own comparison here is a picture of the distant power plant from a bovine perspective!

dairy farm and power plant near Elkhorn Slough (c Rotton Yarns)

I must say that while the beauty of the Ouse Washes far outweighs the beast above, the birding at Elkhorn is far better. I also think, with the exception of the Welney Tea rooms, the eating establishments at nearby Moss Landing have the edge on anything around the Ouse Washes!

The Lighthouse Grill and Whole Enchilada were great and along with Plumes Coffee shop in Monterey and Country Rose in Hollister, all made joint number one eateries on our California trip last September. I suppose though it would be fair to say the hiring policy of the coffee shop also helped boost its ratings and their cinnamon whirls were out of this whirld - they were the size of a frizby!

As for our bird list at said site over two visits:
Black phoebe
Brewers blackbird
Brown headed cowbird
Red winged blackbird
Peregrine
American kestrel
Red tailed hawk
Turkey vulture
Barn owl
Western sandpiper
Spotted sandpiper
Red necked phalarope - bucket loads!! 
Willet
Marbled godwit
Long billed curlew
Semi palmated plover
Great white egret
Snowy egret
Great blue heron
White faced ibis
Brown pelican
White pelican
Song sparrow
House finch
American goldfinch
Downy woodpecker
Mallard
Shovelor
Western gull
Double crested cormorant
California towhee
Killdeer
Chestnut backed chickadee
Belted kingfisher

In addition on our second visit we saw all the above plus:
Hen harrier
Great horned owl
Wilson's warbler
Least sandpiper
Ring billed gull

we also dipped on Baird's sandpiper!

Given we didn't go more than 3/4 mile, spending most of our time within 100 yards of the car and was there probably no more than 2 hours each visit, you'd be hard pressed to see anything near the equivalent at Welney or the Ouse Washes in a week even if you walked miles!

This illustrates why I don't bother birding at home any more :o(  Its such a shame birding here is not as good as it used to be. I guess most of the birds are still here, but are harder to find because of depressed numbers, in fewer places that are further apart and away!! I can see the same birds up my street or in my garden as if I drove 10 miles to somewhere, so I may as well save up my big carbon footprint for the odd annual trip such as California! Or as in this year Romania - which reminds me! I'm supposed to be doing some research for that - byeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Irony

Why do I find irony so hilarious?

Given my recent altercations with BT, I got home last night to find a circular offering me to sign up for BT Broadband Plus and anytime free calls on my land line :o) Laff? I split my sides

Irony (c Rotton Yarns)

Earlier today, I had to look through the Landscape and Urban Design 2011 products review publication to gauge the writing style. We’ve been offered a stupidly cheap page and quarter of advertising for our training courses and I need to quickly rustle up some suitable blurb. 

I find on scrolling to page 10 of this edition, an article about the Aberdeen science and energy park gateway plaza. I know it will actually be companies not working on the natural sciences but, the name of the site still conjures up some form of environmental awareness. 

So I ask myself, why does all the block paving in the pictures appear to me to be impermeable?

I now have the giggles again!

Reverse Chinese Burns

Ah, those days at primary school, when children went around testing each others tolerance to pain by administering a 'Chinese burn'. To anyone who wants reminding, this infliction of pain involves gripping the victims wrists tightly with both hands and twisting in opposite directions, stretching the skin until they scream - how delightful. To actually carry out a reversed Chinese burn is probably quite difficult, unless maybe you are ambidextrous. A right handed person will twist their right hand forward and away from them, while simultaneously twisting their left hand back towards themselves. Try rotating your hands in reverse and its not so easy.

And...... I hear you thinking, what is all this about? I wondered the same myself.

Its actually about two celebrations that occurred this week. Those of a Chinese and Scottish nationality will know what I'm referring to.

On Monday, 23 January, the Chinese celebrated their New Year, welcoming in the year of the Dragon. Tonight, 25 January, anyone of Scottish ancestry will be celebrating the life and poetry of one of its most famous sons Robert Burns, who was born on this day in 1759. The traditional Burns night supper comprises eating  haggis and drinking Scotch whiskey as if you didn't know.

The connection to all this is of a dietary nature. You see while shopping last Saturday, I noticed some haggis in the local butchers. This elicited an impulse buy on the grounds that I'd not eaten any for a while and I'm rather partial to a bit of haggis, neaps and tatties.

Given Sunday-Monday was Chinese New Year, I should have celebrated by cooking a Chinese style dinner. However, I realised I'd not got any meat from the freezer to thaw and the only thing available was the haggis! Thus I had my Burns Night meal (minus the whiskey) on Chinese New Year and have just had my Chinese New Year meal tonight - hence a celebration in reverse!

Hello, ..... is there anybody there? Oh, they all seem to have left or fallen asleep! zzzzzzzzzzzz

A pint of mild please

To date, this winter has been in complete contrast to that a year ago. It has been so mild that already I have seen two species of amphibian, lots of ladybirds coming from hibernation (see Imperfect and Tense, also Bogbumper) and I've also heard a number of birds in song.

To anyone with an interest in wildlife the feeling of euphoria that ensues at this time of year is amazing. Its such a lift to the heart and soul to know that spring is about to be sprung and summer is around the corner.

It is further helped by daylight hours slowly drawing out of an evening so that in a few weeks time we'll be going home from work in daylight.

Between the mildness we do have the occasional spell of colder weather just to remind us we're not out of it yet and which seems to put a temporary hold on some wildlife's notion of wanting to play and get all frisky.

On my trips to work, my passenger who I lift share with has drawn my attention on a couple of occasions to foxes. One last Friday, two on Monday and a third which unfortunately was not a member of the Tufty Club. I need to log onto the British Mammal Society website to record my sightings.

The amphibians I have seen so far this year were a frog on 2nd January. That had got itself up the outlet of the pipe I use to run water from my water butts to top my pond, which I was doing in preparation for the forecasted rain that would then re-fill the butts.

The frog from up the pipe (c Rotton Yarns)

The second amphibian sighting, was at least four common newts seen on Saturday in one of the ponds on the heath at work. I had a bit of a look in my pond at home this morning, but no sign. I shall have to venture out one evening with a torch and look, as that is the best time of day for searching.

Given the time of year, I have acquired a substantial list of singing birds in the past couple weeks, they include:
Song thrush and Mistle thrush both singing simultaneously from the top of two trees
Blue and Great tit which seem to be singing everywhere
Blackbird
Dunnock
Robin

Just think, in about two months time it could be possible to start seeing the first of our summer migrants making their way back here to breed. Ah, wonderful!

Birthday plans afoot

I have a growing theory that as you get older your ability to do stupid things increase. Often they are unintentional and sometimes intentional. On this occasion it falls into the latter category.

Recently, there have been some thoughts passing through my mind (with the size of mine, it tends not to take long), regarding two interesting events on the same day as my birthday.

Captain logic says, it is only sensible to do one or the other depending I guess on where your allegiances lay. However, there is also the issue that as a male, we are notorious for being incapable at making a decision.

Now what do I do when one event happens to be in London during the afternoon and the other Birmingham in the evening and there's about 2 hours travel time between the two venues. The answers obvious because there's an element of fun and the 'cock-up' factor is VERY high, I will go to both. I do love to challenge my abilities.

Part one of my plan is already in place as my tickets have arrived for the Joe Bonamassa gig at the Birmingham National Indoor Arena. Doors open at 18:30 and the gig starts at 19:30. I know now that I'm not going to make it by the start! Joe Bonamassa is currently one of the worlds leading blues and rock guitarists and a very professional musician who now does not need to have a warm up support band.

For those of you who don't know of him and there are some, here he is, courtesy of YouTube, playing live, one of my favourites, a combination of the instrumental 'India' (featured on his 'Slow Gin' album) which segues into 'Mountain Time' featured on his 'So its like that' album. The live version of the tunes also appear on his double album 'Live from nowhere in particular'

All that is required for part two of my day of stupidity is for the Fulham versus Norwich fixture to remain set and not be moved to another date. I will need to get tickets still for that, just as soon as they go on general sale to the public.

I think my transport conundrum has been sorted by the fact I have two friends signed up for the gig who can get me home. My plan is to catch a train from home to the match, then get a train from Euston to Birmingam. There's a fast train at 18:00 which gets me there just after 19:00. The land speed record from Craven Cottage to Kings Cross (one stop after Euston) is 48 minutes and the match finishes at 16:45.

Bring it on!

Have I died and gone to heaven or is it a dream?

Now some people might be wishing I had. However, after a lovely morning participating in some practical conservation work, I'd got home and proceeded to get a few chores done prior to an evening out to see the Packhorse Players of Sutton's interpretation of Robinson Crusoe. Having seen it the night before I did wonder a little if I would enjoy the performance a second time round. Fears were unfounded - it was indeed a much better performance than Friday. 'Oh, yes it was'

As you may have read from my Blogarohia post, I have been without Internet all week save for occasional access through my mobile to that well know network Facebook. It was via that very network, I suddenly realised it was half time and my team not surprisingly were losing at home to the Mags (Newcastle) 0-1.

It was just after that, the combination of a long busy week, late night and long morning must have caught up with me and I fell asleep for a while. Waking some half hour or so later, I checked the score and was confused to read: Fulham 3-1 Newcastle. Thinking there was still something wrong with the Internet connection on my phone and still not fully awake from my snooze, I checked again and refreshed the screen. This time it read 4-1!! By now I was definately confused so I tried to refresh it again and this time it read 4-2!

I scrolled to and fro through the minute by minute match summary, and it was beggining to dawn on me that I'm either dreaming or that in heaven, Fulham win all their matches! No wait a minute, yes I can see penalty - Danny Muphy levels the score, Clint Dempsey makes it 2-1 and again 3-1. Then Bobby Zamora with another penalty and then they pull a goal back. Then, it refreshes on me and its that man Dempsey again - scores with his left, scores with his right and makes Drogba look shite! Its now 5-2. Or is it?.........................

Demsey celebrates  (c from FFC website)

I start having an FB conversation with Mitch Laddie a brilliant blues guitarist from Newcastle who was posting about the poor performance of his team. Asking if he's playing any gigs to promote his new 'Burning Bridges' album he told me to check his website (well he could have told me to do something else in veiw of the football).

I let him know I would, once I get Internet access back. I decide a little while later to give it a go regardless. It was then I discovered I had Internet once again on my phone at least and those nerds at Beatie were giving misinformation again.

The new album cover as advertised on Mitch's website

Blogarohia

Those of you who've taken the time to follow my recent ramblings will have been pleased no doubt by the lack of inane posts. I bet you was even thinking 'oh good, he's gone away, I knew it wouldn't last'.

There is, and maybe was a reason for that, all down to the incompetence of a well know communications company. Such has been my frustration of having no Internet access for the past week, I have a whole load of new blogs to relate, so brace yourselves for it.

Prior to Christmas, I'd been having a running battle with Beatie over a change in my telephone number, broken telephones, broken Broadband, provision of a new service facility for an already existing identical service and just about every other conceivable permutation of incompetence.

This string of incidents occurred before starting my blog site and I thought I'd missed the boat in terms of humour at my expense. However, it turns out, I was not to be disappointed and all was not lost.

At the start of last week, I finally cracked and had enough of not being able to get Internet access some evenings, because everyone else was at it and the pipes were bunged up! I made the mistake of calling Beatie as according to their old adverts 'its good to talk'. They tweaked the speed at which I could get on line OK but I later noticed I couldn't actually open any web browsers. I also noticed the same situation on my IPhone. After the incident last year, I realised this could be serious and be something to do again with the Broadband in the area.

'Its good to talk'

The situation was still the same the next day so I tried to report the fault. Was told there's nothing wrong and later when finding the situation still the same called again!! Its an amazing way to pass ones time of an evening trying to hold a conversation with someone in India. You can barely understand them and they cannot understand you.

The upshot of all my phone calls was 'your router is broke'. You'll get a new one by Friday morning. Did I duck? I tried to complain and request compensation on my bill (you'll notice the word association link between this and the last sentence) for lack of Broadband service, but I couldn't understand what they were really on about. It was beginning to drive me quackers!

Then as if by some miracle, I suddenly notice late on Saturday afternoon my phone was again receiving Internet access again! I later tried the computer and it works again albeit a bit slow (but that's Microsoft for you). It continues to work today and so I have a few blogs now to catch up on, hence the title.

What's more, my discussions and exchanges with Beattie will no doubt continue this coming week - what joy. So there'll be a guaranteed supply of blogarhia still to come. I must say it gets lonely of an evening when you don't have to phone them and since the last incident, I had been quite missing my little evening chats with various people from the Indian in-competence.

'The builders' Fawlty Towers

Check out the last 15 seconds of the clip and imagine a BT Hub

Lost at sea while navel gazing

Last week turned from being very busy to very manic ending in a lovely weekend which seems to have vanished in a puff of smoke.

I suppose I will have to start this blog by making mention of my celebrity spot on Thursday. While having an informal meeting in the London Wetlands Centre at Barn Elms, two people came into the room with various items of equipment. Quickly glancing up from my computer and conversations, one was none other than author, TV presenter and naturalist Simon King. That was certainly an unexpected surprise, although I'm a bit miffed he never asked for my autograph :o). The day finished in the evening with a nice pint of Fullers Black Cab and a nice, inexpensive but filling Thai style meal at the Churchill Arms pub in Notting Hill.

The weekends lovely weather bode well for a nice walk on Saturday with members of the local wildlife group. It was a brisk walk past the nearby River Ivel and up into the woods to the east of Sandy. This is where I became so engrossed in looking at and photographing the plant Navelwort, at its only Bedfordshire location, that I missed the group disappearing off into the distance without trace. All was not lost, as I continued to look around the area, taking in the flowering gorse looking so resplendent in the sunshine, before then heading down into the town centre to rendezvous with the group for lunch at the China Express.

Navelwort - something to gaze into (c Rotton Yarns)

Sunday was another bright and lovely day, if not a little windy and cold to spend standing around watching the bird ringing session at Beeston. But stand around I did, well at least some of the time but it was nice to see some really lovely birds at close hand. One being my old mate the house sparrow. The day was highlighted to by the sheer numbers of bee orchid in leaf and the mistletoe. I didn't hang around it too long for fear of being snogged by a sailor!

House sparrow - an old favourite (c Rotton Yarns)

Bee orchid - the only orchid to show its leaves in autumn (c Rotton Yarns)

Mistletoe - it started with a kiss (c Rotton Yarns)

 

How many for a free set of tumblers?

Delighted to find I now have two followers of my inane drivel. It has occurred to me as both are from the same family, if I can manage to cajole the rest of the 'Walkers' into following my blog, how many family members does it take to qualify for a free set of tumblers? Further more, if I can acquire the whole family, will I be entitled to a free holiday in Teesside?

Graeme, John - I don't suppose you could be good chaps and get the rest of the family to sign up! ;o)

I could be in the money!

While suspecting I'm still in the novelty phase of this blog, I must admit to being amazed at the incidents an individual experiences with humorous blogging potential!

Yesterday was no exception. I came home to find after a gap of a good 15 years, Readers Digest have somehow tracked me down. In a perverse way, it amusingly made my day.

Waiting for me was an offer I cannot refuse - the chance to win up to £100,000 first prize draw money. Apparently, in a few days time I will receive a large orange Readers Digest envelope bearing a green tracking label on which I have 72 hours to respond to stand a chance of winning first prize.

The letter finishes emphasising 'Its my decision to enter. When a large orange envelope is posted through your letterbox, don't ignore it'

I can't very well ignore it as I'll tread on it each time I come in. I'll just pop it in my recycling bin rather than be plagued for years by endless offers of books and or compilation CD's and other useless items.

I have noticed the latest signatory is now a Keith Clarke. I'm sure before it was always something like Tom Champaign.

The reason its taken 24 hours to post this is another blog worthy item which will however have to wait.

A rabbit in headlights

Nearing the end of a pleasant afternoons tidying in the garden, I suddenly remembered needing to buy something for a friends' pending birthday.

Having failed earlier in the week at the usual sources, I'd resigned myself to a supermarket trip. Anyone knowing me well enough realises this has potential of leading to a Mildrew Moment.

Aside from their high sightings ratio for attractive members of the opposite sex, supermarket visits can be scary! Bright lights, big isles, rows and rows of produce, from clothes and electrical to food and drink - its all there to discover as I try to find what I need among the vast array of goods. Then there's over packaging and ridiculous 'buy one get one free' offers. Something else to throw out at the end of the week when it starts to rot. I just want one - I don't want 3, 10 or any other bloody combination, just one item please and without all the wrapping that you cannot get into!! Deep breath and chill................. 

Whether its something to do with age, but I've developed a support for the small local trader with at least my weekly grocery purchases. I hate how the big multi-nationals screw the world financially and ecologically. However, just occasionally, ones needs cannot always be met and this was one of those instances.  

Realising it was nearly closing time for a Sunday, it just asda be done and with a gentle pat on the wallet in my back pocket, I headed off into town.

With just one item, I made a bee-line for the self serve check outs that speak to you - uh ho! warning! warning! mistake! mistake!!. But it's too late and like one of those slow motion car crashes, my Mildrew Moment was about to unfold  .....

First I was told I needed the purchase authorised to continue (ie: someone comes to check you're over 18 and removes the secure tab from the top of the bottle). It then told me it still couldn't proceed. Kind lady quickly returns and enters some code, walks off and allows me to continue! By now there's a queue gathering behind. The machine then asks me to enter how much cash back I want! Grrrr, by now I'm thinking I don't want any sexing money, I just want to purchase this item and go home!! I then tried to cancel the process, picked the bottle up and headed for the normal tills. Kind lady spots me and comes to my rescue by starting the procedure again, pressing the 'no cash required' button and getting me to the stage of entering my pin number.

Grrr, why do things have to be made so difficult. It further justifies why I like to lead a simple uncomplicated life and just visit a nice little grocers store, veg shop or butchers where you can have a polite friendly conversation, ask after each other, how's life and the universe. Not do battle with a load of parents, rampaging kids, shopping trolly's and underpaid shop assistants trying their best to get through the day without too much stress.

A bottle of Mildrew Moment (c Rotton Yarns)

When I got home, its a wonder I didn't want to drink the contents - its enough to drive you to :o) 

As for the friend in question, they're a great mate, all round good egg and 110% worth the effort. Here's hoping they'll have a great birthday but don't drink it all in one go! :o) 

Dempsey does the trick after Duff start!

I decided at the last minute on Friday evening to book a ticket for today's cup game at home to Charlton Athletic. I've not been to the Cottage since the opening game of the season against Aston Villa back in early August, so thought it was about time I went and lined the terraces and players pockets. Did they earn it? Given it was a cheap cup game ticket, then maybe only just in the end.

This morning was a bit of a slow casual start and I decided to leave later and travel to the game. This meant forgoing lunch at the Chancery in Lillie Lane, where you can get a nice pint, 25% off meals with match day tickets and appreciate the hiring policy ;o)

I made it to my seat with about ten minutes to spare before kick off. After an early goal from Clint Dempsey ("he scores with his left, he scores with his right, that boy Clint Dempsey makes Drogba look shite"), the lads decided to go into their regular sleep mode. Even a few close shaves were not enough to wake them up.

When they did have the ball they were either too casual and or went into a state of 'oh we have the ball and what do we do now'! I think the Flying Scotsman on quarter speed would have been more effective. Bobby Zamora didn't look like his heart was in it at times. He certainly wasn't getting much service to galvanise him beyond a stroll.

By half time I'd rather have been watching paint dry!

Another lull in action. Note the sea of red in the Putney End (c Rotton Yarns)

All came good in the second half when Damien Duff replaced Kerim Frei after 57 minutes. He showed them what to do - run hard at the opposition both on and off the ball. Creating neat one two's with Bobby and the others around him. The interaction with Bobby was great - it certainly woke him up and got him moving! That said they still didn't seem to get beyond half speed at times, but it was enough.

Damien had only been on 2 minutes and nearly scored and it was a minute later when that boy Dempsey done it again! 2-0 hurrah! Ten minutes later, Bryan Ruiz gets the ball and is brought down by the keeper. Up steps that man Clint to take the penalty, making it 3-0 and claiming his hat trick. Six minutes later it was all over bar the shouting for Charlton when Damien Duff grabbed a deserved goal to make it 4-0.

All in all following an hours worth of agonising faff and general duff playing, I suppose it wasn't a bad game for half an hour . The Charlton supporters were amazing - they filled the entire Putney End and made a hell of a din.

At times I thought I was sitting in a library up at the Hammersmith End.

Its a shame they didn't do better - the score line does not reflect how well they played and but for David Stockdale came close on occasions. They should feel very proud.

If architects had brains

I seem to be getting carried away with myself here, two posts on my first day - steady on!

I learned today, that despite given best advice, an anonymous group of architects on an anonymous project, at a supposed sustainable development site, decided not to re-locate the nest provisions indicated on their plans to an appropriate place. Instead they're to stay where specified and be of no use to any bird.

Optimistically, its been recommended that being the case they should all be bat bricks, which will at least benefit something in need.

What's more I pity the poor brickies putting them in, as all but one is in timber cladding. Had they been moved to the appropriate location advised that would not have been the case.

Obviously, these architects have no wish to understand the requirements of wildlife from those who know, or have any idea about what's involved in putting these things in.

I'm off now for a lie down and a rest as I don't want to be seen to overdo things.

First blog

Quite what I was thinking of setting this blog site up I do not know, but there we are. How long it will last I don't know; 1 post, one day, one week, month or year who knows?

First week back at mill and twas a busy one at that and any preconception it would be otherwise dashed by 09:00 on the first day back. Thank crunchie its Friday.

No pictures to show just yet - mental note to start taking camera to work. Therefore, in the absence of current pictures, I'll bore readers with one of my attempts at art from a recent trip to Twitchwell during the festive period with my good friends (yes I do have a few) Mr Tense and the Admiral. Thanks for a great day out chaps.

Sunset reflections in the sand at Twitchwell (c. Rotton Yarns)