On this day / this week - Scillies 1996

October 1996 was a superb month for me, including a great Scillies trip. We'd booked our flights for Saturday 12th, but with exciting news hitting us leading up to the day, we set off early and arrived on St Mary's on Friday 11th. Immediately on arriving we hurried over to Sallyport to obtain stunning views of one of the best birds I've seen in Britain - an absolutely stonking Black-and-White Warbler. This turned out to be the first of five neartic passerine ticks over the next six days, and the first of 16 ticks for me in October 96!! As soon as we'd seen the warbler well, we rushed to the quay for a boat to Tresco. On landing, we legged it to the Borough Farm area and were soon watching a Buff-bellied Pipit. Oh man - what a day. And what a trip, with the other main highlights being Red-eyed Vireo (my 300th tick) at Longstone, St Mary's 13th and Bobolink on Bryher on 14th.

I had to leave the islands on 17th in order to get home for Isabelle's first birthday on 18th. This was in itself a good move as I took a detour through Portland to see the fantastic Northern Waterthrush.

Back in the (pre-digital) day, I used to buy the odd photo from the rarity photographers that were part of the scene. Most though have no details on them so I can't remember who took the photos. Either way, I'm sure they wouldn't mind me posting them here so you can see what I enjoyed on 11th October 1996!

Black-and-White Warbler - superb and OMFL!

 

Buff-bellied Pipit - smart, when it was rare and a good blocker.....

iNDUSTRiE - Now It's Dark

Time for another electronic blast from the vaults of iNDUSTRiE. However - I must warn all that right from the off, this track contains a constant barrage of expletive venom courtesy of Dennis Hopper as sampled from the superb David Lynch film Blue Velvet. In order to save webspace etc, I've uploaded to YouTube having made use of Windows MovieMaker. Don't expect an interesting or dynamic video! It's just a static backdrop for the music. This track developed over a couple of years, and was a regular live track at our gigs. This version was recorded in 1993 directly sequenced from a multi-out sampler (Akai s2800), albeit onto analogue tape. I've recorded into the Clean software, de-noised it a bit and that's all - so not the most balanced mix but you get the idea. Warning - expletive ridden from the first syllable.

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