On this day - 30th September 2000

The tension was palpable as I drove onto Portland with Dave Gray, Rob Fray and Mark Reeder on board. No worries though as before too long we were amongst a reasonable early-morning crowd at The Verne enjoying a superb juv Cliff Swallow - OMFL! The rest of the day involved relaxed pottering around the bill, picking up a Wryneck, c6 Honey Buzzards, and assorted odds and migrant sods.

This week, I have mostly been listening to ..

Rum, Sodomy & The Lash - the classic 1985 release from The Pogues. If you have never heard this record, I absolutely insist that you buy it now! Dirty Old Town A Pair of Brown Eyes This video has got nothing to do with the brilliant lyrics by MacGowan - it's a political comment on the Thatcher government of the day based on George Orwell's '1984'. Shane MacGowan - ugly, toofless, drunk, genius.

Red-neck

Nipped over to Swithland Res. on Saturday to look for the nailed-on-right-by-the-dam Red-necked Grebe. Bugger - no sign of it whilst I was there. And not a lot else about either. This ugly Grey Heron kept an eye on me throughout the sorry proceedings. Ardea uglerea I was therefore a bit peeved when it was reported again, especially as I was otherwise disposed on Sunday. Nipped back again late this afternoon though and managed to watch it making its way back out in to the deep open waters in the middle of the reservoir - good scope views in good light but an unphotographable distance. A cracking male Peregrine in the usual spot, and three Buzzards circling overhead made the wait more bearable, and eventually patience paid off as the grebe made its way back to the dam for another 3 or 4 fish (greedy little bugger this one). Sadly, by that time the light was well and truly out and rain looked imminent. Therefore a high ISO setting made for a grainy few shots but at least it is clearly an immature Red-necked Grebe! Smart stripey face This is the first I've seen in VC55 since February 1997, and the first away from Rutland Water. Seen a few others around Britain but all have been Jan - Mar.

From the garden trap - 16th to 19th September

More warm sunny days, clear cool nights, and low numbers in the traps. 16th Total catch 38 of 15sp. (125W MV 19 of 10sp., 80W actinic 19 of 11sp.) Ypsolopha sequella 1 Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) 1 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 8 Acleris sparsana 1 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 2 Emmelina monodactyla 1 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 2 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 4 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 2 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 5 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 6 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 2 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1 17th Total catch 53 of 19sp. (125W MV 24 of 13sp., 80W actinic 29 of 10sp.)

Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 1

White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1

Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 6

Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 4

Epinotia nisella 1

Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis) 1

Emmelina monodactyla 2

Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 2

Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 3

Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 1

Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 13

Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 10

Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1

Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 1

Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri hesperica) 1 [First for year]

Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1

Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 2

Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1

Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1 Blair's Shoulder-knot 18th Total catch 24 of 16sp. (125W MV 7 of 5sp., 80W actinic 17 of 13sp.) Ypsolopha sequella 1 Acleris sparsana 1 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 4 Emmelina monodactyla 1 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 2 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 3 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 3 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 1 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 1 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1 [First for year] Sallow (Xanthia icteritia) 1 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) 1 Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1 Pink-barred Sallow 19th Total catch 25 of 14sp. (125W MV 15 of 9sp., 80W actinic 10 of 9sp.) Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 8 Acleris sparsana 1 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 2 Emmelina monodactyla 1 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 1 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 2 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 2 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 2 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 1 Black Rustic (Aporophyla nigra) 1 [First for year] Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata) 1 Burnished Brass (Diachrysia chrysitis) 1 Common Wainscot - often more of the darker reddish/brown individuals in autumn Black Rustic

Dove Factory

It's almost impossible to imagine a time when Collared Dove was a major rarity in the UK. In less than 60 years it has turned into one of the most common birds we have. With our resident breeding pair I now know why. They have just fledged their fifth brood (=10 fledglings). After the third they moved nests, abandoning the neighbours satellite dish platform and moving under the eves to their equally redundant security light. Still a precarious looking situation for the usual two nestlings. Female attending the nest and trying to coax out the full-size nestlings - both just visible. This latest pair of fledglings finally flew on Friday. No better looking than their older siblings. No better looking than their older siblings. Still time for a sixth brood!

Mary Magdalene - Saint or Sinner?

No - I am not offering a debate about a biblical character! The following is extracted from a cheapo TV guide magazine about a programme with the above title on Channel 5 tonight: 'Documentary examining the life of the biblical figure, who is said to have been the first person to see Christ after the Resurrection.' Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the idea that anyone could actually rise from the dead in the first place is not in question, only whether she was the first to see the risen Christ. I'll get me coat.

Social Housing

One of the biggest current social and economic disasters in the UK is the massive shortage of affordable and social housing. What is not surprising is that this has developed over time, like a malignant cancer, following a decision made by Thatcher and her despicable government in the late 70s. The 'Right to Buy' council housing was made a party policy by Thatcher when arriving at the Tory helm, and laws were changed in 1980 to allow the wholesale off-loading of council properties throughout the UK into the open market. The councils though were not allowed to utilise any capital from this scheme to replace the sold housing until they had cleared debts etc.

Those tenants who were now homeowners were allowed, with moderate restriction, to sell on the properties quickly for profit. What a surprise - social housing stocks dwindled, house prices soared (because now more people were forced to look at buying thereby increasing demand), buying to let increased (because there are always greedy bastards wanting to capitalise on any scenario where demand outstrips supply) and now it is nigh on impossible to get a council property or onto the property ladder.

The current feckless government has made changes to the Right to Buy scheme but fundamentally it continues. What is even more disgusting though, as I've just discovered through watching Cheap Homes for Sale? on BBC1 (repeated from BBC3), is that there are actually c800K properties lying dormant and boarded up throughout the UK - many of these actually belonging to the councils and governmental agencies. What a fucking disgrace.

There are even boarded up ghost towns, like in Liverpool, which appear to be a council contrived situation to gain grants from the Pathfinder scheme to knock down and build new. Why not just simply renovate where necessary and get the families that need them back into homes quickly, rather than them being squashed into squalid bedsits waiting for years whilst the councils fuck about.

From the garden trap - 13/09/2008 to 15/09/2008

I planned to catch up on a bit of moth photography this evening, and when I got home from work this Skin Moth was loitering on the front door so I potted it for a shot whilst I was at it. Skin Moth - like a few members of this group, eats animal debris, dried shit and pellets, and debris in birds nests. Nice.

Although the day-time weather and temps have been good over the last few days, it's been clear and cool at night. The traps have been out but the catches have been a bit uninspiring. 13/09/2008 Total catch 33 of 13sp. (125W MV 17 of 10sp., 80W actinic 16 of 6sp.) Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 8 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 1 Emmelina monodactyla 1 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 3 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 2 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 10 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 1 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 2 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 1 Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis) 1 Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) 1 14/09/2008 Total catch 64 of 18sp. (125W MV 36 of 16sp., 80W actinic 28 of 9sp.) Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella) 1 White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 16 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 1 Nut Bud Moth (Epinotia tenerana) 1 [First for year] Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis) 1 [First for year] Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 6 Green Carpet (Colostygia pectinataria) 1 Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata) 1 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 3 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 13 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 8 Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum) 2 Square-spot Rustic (Xestia xanthographa) 5 Common Wainscot (Mythimna pallens) 1 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 1 [First for year] Flounced Rustic (Luperina testacea) 1 Frosted Orange (Gortyna flavago) 1 Rusty Dot Pearl - an immigrant pyralid Lunar Underwing 15/09/2008 Total catch list 47 of 14sp. (125W MV 27 of 12sp., 80W actinic 20 of 7sp.) White-shouldered House Moth (Endrosis sarcitrella) 1 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 8 Rhomboid Tortrix (Acleris rhombana) 1 Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana) 4 Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis) 1 Emmelina monodactyla 3 Garden Carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata) 4 Common Marbled Carpet (Chloroclysta truncata) 5 Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) 2 Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 7 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 5 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) 4 Orange Sallow (Xanthia citrago) 1 [First for year] Silver Y (Autographa gamma) 1 Orange Sallow - one of my favourites although this individual is a bit rubbed

On this day - 14/09/2002

Six years ago today I embarked on a solo journey to see, aptly, a juv Solitary Sandpiper at Rye Meads RSPB. Great views of a great bird, and at the time it seemed all the better as it was a catch-up on local listing mates/rivals John and Dave. As it turned out though, it was the last but one lifer I picked up before effectively throwing in the towel as far as twitching was concerned. Since this bird I have seen only four lifers (excluding armchair splits) - and two of those have been in the last year!

This week, I have mostly been listening to -

The Streets. I have all three album releases which I like to play loud in the car - quite frankly the expletive content/count renders them unlistenable in the family home! Anyway, seeing as the new album is out tomorrow (which I'll be acquiring) I thought I'd get in the right mood. I very much doubt that The Streets are to everyones liking but I'd urge anyone to give them a proper hearing, and by that I don't mean listening to the odd single on the radio/TV. You have to hear A Grand Don't Come For Free from start to finish to get it. Everything is Borrowed Prangin' Out

Twycross Zoo 25/08/2008 Pt. 3 (Final)

Finally got around to sorting out a final few images from the Twycross visit a couple of weeks ago - avian subjects this time. White Stork - one the other side of the fence would be nice for my County list! Demoiselle Crane Chilean Flamingo Cattle Egret - ditto the White Stork comment Humboldt Penguin Crowned Crane

On this day - 10th September 1993

On this day 15 years ago I joined John Hackett in an after-work dash to Blithfield Reservoir. We got there with a couple of hours of proper light left, although it was dull and drizzly so not the most inspiring conditions. Before long though, we'd both managed tantalising glimpses of our target bird. I was laden with a recently acquired scope and tripod and decided that chasing this bird around the canopy was a waste of time, so I stayed put on one side of the with a couple of like-minded souls whilst John continued to wander after the bird. After a few minutes - there it was. My first scope-full of a rarity, and a good one at that considering we were miles inland in Staffordshire - a superb Arctic Warbler. I seem to remember that 1993 turned out to be a relatively good year for this species but one in Staffs was unprecedented (not sure if there have been any inland records since?). Off of the top of my head I've seen at least one other Arctic since (St Agnes '96), and plenty of other rare warblers, but this individual will stick in the mind for a few more years to come.

From the garden trap - 08/09/2008

After a load of frankly shite nights for mothing potential, the traps were back out for a tentative look-see at what was still knocking about and what was emerging, though conditions were still far from good and I was emptying the traps in more rain in the morning. Overall the catch was pretty poor compared to the last few days of August; the only minor excitement was an immigrant Rush Veneer. Total catch 91 of 28sp. (125W MV 42 of 18sp., 80W actinic 49 of 20sp.) First for year in garden: Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella) 1 Spruce Carpet (Thera britannica) 1 Highest counts: Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba) 16 Lesser Yellow Underwing (Noctua comes) 14 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) 10

Poker Night 05/09/2008

Anyone who thinks poker is a game of luck and chance is wrong. Sure, there is an element of luck and chance but they are far outweighed by the need for patience and timing, calculating the right time to pounce, disrupting opponents by mixing up the play strategies, being bullish and aggressive when needed and having the courage to fold a pair of aces. Apparently.

I went through a phase of playing a lot of on-line poker a couple of years ago, mainly play chips but also a few small-cash sit-n-go tournaments. I've also played a couple of times against real live people but nothing serious and never in a casino or properly oprganised tournament. When John Hague texted an invite to a poker night at his house last night, I couldn't resist.

There were five players (John's mates Steve and Johnny, John's brother-in-law Matt, John and me) and we all bought in with £20, divided the chips and played in a sit-n-go format with blinds increasing every half hour (or so). I'm not one to brag or crow, normally, but I had a big smile on my face after four and a half hours of play and £80 winnings plus my buy-in stashed in my pocket. MWAAHAHAHAHAHA.

It was a great night and generally a good laugh, although the three that were out of chips first had to sit through a no-doubt tedious hour and a half of heads-up play between me and John's mate Steve. By that time the blinds had escalated (in chip equivalent) from 20p/40p to £16/£32. Early on in the game though I was running low on chips and looked favourite to be first out until a great hand with 4Qs beating John's full house Qs/8s - I could have been ruthless on that one! I also won a load of chips with an undetected flush, and beating Steve's 9-high straight with a Jack-high straight. Too many other full houses, trips and two-pairs to remember. Thanks to John for hosting the game and supplies of munchies and great background music. WSOP next then .....

When I played online, my favourite site for playchips and basically having a laugh and banter with people world-wide was Full Tilt. Here are some great winning hands from open play games.


whitecaribman bet big on the river - hahahahah


suckafree couldn't contain himself with full house Ks/As - bit like the 4Qs last night


big betting pre-flop bumped up the pot, betting after the flop was restrained with everyone concerned about a flush (except bobklim who played like a muppet)