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Friday 30 December 2011

GLOSSY IBIS



Yesterday the GLOSSY IBIS showed superbly for Martin a few meters in front of the screen on Shooters Pool.





However, when I got there, it was still at very close range, but decided to hide behind the over hanging branches. This is the best I could do in the short time that I was there.

Today there was a Black Redstart at Porthloo and at Porth Hellick in the dull light, 1 Firecrest, 3 Goldcrest,female Merlin, 1 Buzzard, 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Raven and on the pool, 1 female Wigeon and Teal, male Gadwall, 6 Coot, 4 Greenshank and a single Redshank. Up to 22 Golden Plover were at the airfield.


This Firecrest showed well by the crossroads


This song 'Boulder to Birmingham' was written for the late Gram Parson's. Emmylou has sang with everyone on their albums, Guy Clark, Dylan, Neil Young and many more. She's in the process of doing an LP with singer/songwriter, Rodney Crowell. Crowell's the one in this video in green like he's just about to jump on his scrambler bike!.

Wednesday 28 December 2011

17th GLOSSY IBIS for Scilly


 GLOSSY IBIS on St Mary's

  Yesterday, Higgo asked me if I wanted to go and have a look at Tresco? I should of had gone with him. While standing at New Grimbsy at 15.00, he observed Scillies 17th GLOSSY IBIS going SEE low, following Tresco Channel before heading towards Tresco Great Pool, where he lost it. At 16.30, Tom Scott was watching it for 15 minutes around Porth Hellick on St Mary's. This is presumed to be the same bird that was seen at St Just earlier on the same day in Cornwall.
  Today I returned back to work after Christmas and throughout the day I got calls from everyone about the where abouts the Ibis was on St Mary's. After it being seen flying all over the shop, just before 16.00, Joe Pender watched it come into Shooters Pool and here it was seen by all. Myself, I didn't connect with it until 17.45 and got cracking views as it continued to feed until it was dark. 2 Woodcock also flew overhead. I like to thank both Ritchie and Tony for calling me every second about the ibis. They seemed to be at the right place at the right time when ever it was spotted.

I reckon that there will be a lot more records of Glossy Ibis coming from Scilly in the near future.

Out of the 6 records all on Tresco between 1858-1932, 5 of them were shot.
1940 18th-31st October, Tresco, 7 were present on Great Pool.
1978 19th August-17th September, Tresco, An immature was on the Great Pool.
1994 A juvenile was seen flying over Samson towards Bryher, 23rd September. Later that evening, independently, Ren Hathway picked it up from the direction of St Marys and coming into roost with Little Egrets on Tresco Abbey Pool. It stayed on Tresco to the 27th, when it was observed to fly off high NE and later that afternoon was in Cornwall.
1996 Bryan Thomas and Tommy Bird found a first year on the Shooters Pool, 16th May. Later again, Ren independently discovered it on Tresco Great Pool. Here it was present til the 12th June.


This was taken just before 17.00 and it came out pretty well

 GLOSSY IBIS at Shooters Pool The bird was wearing a metal ring on the right leg and a coloured plastic ring with the letters 02H9 on the left leg. Joe  Pender http://wwwsapphirepelagics.blogspot.com/

   Before all this happened at mid-afternoon I got a call from Martin telling me that Tim, the postman, had seen the Glossy Ibis flying around Bourough Farm. I had only 10 minutes and checked the Maypole fields. A 'phyllosc' warbler popped up in front of me and I was surprised to see that it was a Willow Warbler! It had a ring on it, so maybe one of Jim's birds that he ringed at Porth Hellick in mid-November. It was the latest Willow Warbler that I've ever seen.



I got a bit of a shock when this Willow Warbler popped up in front of me at Marpole!



The family of 4 Raven were having a great time in the gale force NW on The Strand

I asked the guys to save me some dinner at work and this is what I came back to after seeing the Ibis. I think they went over top with onion gravy! When I finished scuffing this large potion down me neck, I went straight on to me seconds.

  Yesterday I had a look at Lower Moors and saw the DUSKY WARBLER briefly and heard the Yellow-browed Warbler. A single Goldcrest, 7-8 Chiffchaff and 3 Redwing were also present.


Have a listen to this amazing peace of music. I've been listening to 'The Thrill Has Gone Live' B B King for hours and I just can't get enough of it!

Monday 26 December 2011

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 50th Anniversary

'Chimes of Freedom' Salutes Amnesty International's 50th Anniversary and Life-Saving Human Rights Work. The songs of Bob Dylan honoring Amnesty International include 75 Newly Recorded Bob Dylan Songs by Over 80 Artists Scheduled for January 24. I've already ordered my copy.

The Collection Features Songs By
* Adele * The Airborne Toxic Event * Joan Baez * Natasha Bedingfield * Jackson Browne * Cage the Elephant * Elvis Costello * Darren Criss * Miley Cyrus * Dave Matthews Band * K'NAAN * Ke$ha * Mark Knopfler * Diana Krall * Lenny Kravitz * Kris Kristofferson * Ziggy Marley * Maroon 5 * Tom Morello * My Chemical Romance * Joe Perry * Queens Of The Stone Age * Raphael Saadiq * Seal & Jeff Beck * Silversun Pickups * Patti Smith * Sting * Sugarland * Pete Townshend * Lucinda Williams * Evan Rachel Wood and more

(New York) - Two iconic forces that have impacted the past 50 years - the life-saving human rights activism of Nobel Peace Prize-winning Amnesty International and the incomparable artistry of Bob Dylan - are being saluted by 80 musicians who contributed new or previously unreleased recordings to Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International.

Chimes of Freedom is Executive Produced by legendary music executive Jeff Ayeroff and Julie Yannatta, who spearheaded Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur - a 2007 collection of John Lennon solo compositions performed by major artists including U2, Green Day, and R.E.M.

The collection is scheduled for physical (4 discs) and digital release in North America on January 24, 2012 through Fontana Distribution. It will be distributed internationally through Fontana International, a Universal Music company, on January 30.

Chimes of Freedom features a stellar and diverse group of artists across the generational and musical spectrum. The performers, including many of Amnesty International's longtime supporters, range in age from teenage pop star Miley Cyrus, 19, to folk music legend Pete Seeger, who, at 92, records Dylan's poignant "Forever Young," with a children's chorus.

The diversity of the musicians and musical genres - from rock, rap, hip-hop to pop, folk, country, jazz and blues -- attests to Amnesty's depth of support in the music community, the universal appeal of the core message of human rights, and the breadth of Dylan's impact on culture. Almost every track on the album is being released for sale for the first time* - except for the title song, Dylan's original 1964 recording of "Chimes of Freedom." Seventy songs were recorded especially for this release - with the addition of a few previously unreleased recordings.

"This album is a powerful fusion of the music community's respect for Amnesty's life-affirming work and for Bob Dylan's enduring brilliance," said Ayeroff and Yannatta. "We are proud to have worked with Amnesty to produce this remarkable project."

In 1962, Amnesty International evolved from a one-year campaign to free political prisoners into a worldwide movement fighting for justice, freedom and human dignity; today the organization has more than three million supporters in 150 countries. In March of that same year Bob Dylan's debut album was released, launching an unparalleled recording career.
"Over the half century, Dylan's art has explored and expressed the anguish and hope of the modern human condition," observed Sean Wilentz, the noted historian, in the album liner notes.

"Bob Dylan's music endures because he so brilliantly captures our heartbreak, our joy, our frailty, our confusion, our courage and our struggles," said Karen Scott Amnesty International's Manager of Music Relations. "His words convey a depth of meaning that few artists can equal, inspiring us and always moving ahead of our expectations. We at Amnesty International are deeply grateful to this legendary musician and to all of the artists who have contributed to this project."

All of the artists, session musicians, arrangers, engineers, producers and recording studios worked pro-bono to support the human rights cause. Almost 30 tracks on the album were mixed gratis by famed engineer Bob Clearmountain. Bob Ludwig and Adam Ayan of Gateway Mastering donated their mastering services. The album cover illustration is by Grammy Award winning artist Mick Haggerty. Eight tracks were produced or executive produced by Martin Lewis, who as co-creator/producer in the 1970s of Amnesty's ongoing "Secret Policeman's Ball" benefit series, instigated Amnesty's outreach to rock musicians by recruiting and producing Pete Townshend, Sting, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Bob Geldof and others. Executive Producers for Amnesty International are Helen Garrett, director of special projects, and Karen Scott, manager of music relations.

Through Chimes of Freedom, Amnesty International seeks to enlist support for its fight against censorship and attacks on free speech - whether involving artists, writers, musicians, political activists or bloggers. In this campaign, Amnesty is fighting for people such as the imprisoned Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo in China, a scholar and human rights defender imprisoned since 2009 for writing about corruption and criticizing China's political system. In addition to purchasing the album at www.amnestyusa.org/chimes, supporters will find actions they can take to help individuals whose freedom of expression is under threat.

Hold George W. Bush and Dick Cheney Accountable for Torture

  Former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney have stated that they endorsed the use of waterboarding. President Obama has acknowledged that waterboarding is torture. Torture is a crime under international law, and anyone involved must be brought to justice.
The admissions of the former President and Vice President are enough to trigger the USA’s obligations to open an investigation. We are calling on our members to urge Attorney General Holder to open a criminal investigation into the role former President Bush, former Vice President Cheney, and other officials played in torture

This is the kind of work that is carried out by Amnesty International.
Please TAKE ACTION and go to this webpage. http://www.facebook.com/amnestyusa?sk=app_168461776520319 

  All you have to do is enter your details and then submit the letter on the page asking for the President Barack Obama to immediately open a criminal investigation into the role former President George W. Bush, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and other officials played in the use of torture on detainees held in US custody.

Here's the website to Amnesty International UK http://amnesty.org.uk/index.asp


The tracklisting for Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International from Queen of the Stone Age to Eric Budden, is as follows -

DISC 1
Johnny Cash feat. The Avett Brothers One Too Many Mornings
Raphael Saadiq Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Patti Smith Drifter’s Escape
Rise Against Ballad of Hollis Brown
Tom Morello The Nightwatchman Blind Willie McTell
Pete Townshend Corrina, Corrina
Bettye LaVette Most of the Time
Charlie Winston This Wheel’s On Fire
Diana Krall Simple Twist of Fate
Brett Dennen You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
Mariachi El Bronx Love Sick
Ziggy Marley Blowin’ in the Wind
The Gaslight Anthem Changing of the Guards
Silversun Pickups Not Dark Yet
My Morning Jacket You’re A Big Girl Now
The Airborne Toxic Event Boots of Spanish Leather
Sting Girl from the North Country
Mark Knopfler Restless Farewell

DISC 2
Queens Of The Stone Age Outlaw Blues
Lenny Kravitz Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35
Steve Earle w/Lucia Micarelli One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
Blake Mills Heart Of Mine
Miley Cyrus You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Billy Bragg Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Elvis Costello License to Kill
Angelique Kidjo Lay, Lady, Lay
Natasha Bedingfield Ring Them Bells
Jackson Browne Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Joan Baez Seven Curses
The Belle Brigade No Time To Think
Sugarland Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You (Live)
Jack’s Mannequin Mr. Tambourine Man
Oren Lavie 4th Time Around
Sussan Deyhim All I Really Want To Do
Adele Make You Feel My Love (Live)

DISC 3
K’NAAN With God On Our Side
Ximena Sarinana I Want You
Neil Finn with Pajama Club She Belongs to Me
Bryan Ferry Bob Dylan’s Dream
Zee Avi Tomorrow Is A Long Time
Carly Simon Just Like a Woman
Flogging Molly The Times They Are A-Changin’
Fistful Of Mercy Buckets Of Rain
Joe Perry Man Of Peace
Bad Religion It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
My Chemical Romance Desolation Row
RedOne feat. Nabil Khayat Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Paul Rodgers & Nils Lofgren Abandoned Love
Darren Criss feat. Chuck Criss
and Freelance Whales New Morning
Cage the Elephant The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
Band of Skulls It Ain’t Me, Babe
Sinead O’Connor Property of Jesus
Ed Roland and The Sweet Tea Project Shelter From The Storm
Ke$ha Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
Kronos Quartet Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

DISC 4
Maroon 5 I Shall Be Released
Carolina Chocolate Drops Political World
Seal & Jeff Beck Like A Rolling Stone
Taj Mahal Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream
Dierks Bentley Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) (Live)
Mick Hucknall One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)
Thea Gilmore I’ll Remember You
State Radio John Brown
Dave Matthews Band All Along the Watchtower (Live)
Michael Franti Subterranean Homesick Blues
We Are Augustines Mama, You Been On My Mind
Lucinda Williams Tryin’ To Get To Heaven
Kris Kristofferson Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
Eric Burdon Gotta Serve Somebody
Evan Rachel Wood I’d Have You Anytime
Marianne Faithfull Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Live)
Pete Seeger Forever Young
Bob Dylan Chimes Of Freedom



Ziggy Marly with the Bob Dylan cover "Blowin in the Wind" from the Amnesty International tribute album "Chimes of Freedom"


Saturday 24 December 2011

Jeremy Clarkson eats Ortolan Bunting!

Clarkson getting stuck into an Ortolan Bunting. If only he choked to death on it with the rest of his friends.


  So, the buntings are trapped alive, blinded (so that they would not move and lose any calories), force-fed (four times it's regular size), drowned in brandy (so that their little lungs would have a good burst of taste), and then roasted to be ready to eat. 

Ortolan Bunting ready to be roasted after being drowned in alcohol

  If he did choke to death on eating the Ortolan Bunting in one gulp, then we wouldn't have his sensitive and intellectual comments on global warming, the enviorment and humanity in general. Once again is Clarkson topping up his pool of negativity under the auspices of his own profitable laddish market brand?

 About 31,000 people complained to the BBC over Clarkson's comments last month on the One Show when he joked about executing public sector workers  in front of their families for going on strike.
His good mate, David Cameron, told Mr Clarkson that it was a 'silly thing to say' 'Disgraceful and disgusting' were the comments from the leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband and  the Unison’s Assistant Secretary General Karen Jennings has responded to Jeremy Clarkson’s idiotic remarks about “executing” striking public sector workers “in front of their families” by saying that this is “almost like Gaddafi”. She went on to say, 'I get the point. This kind of savage reaction is the sort of thing you might – might – see in very repressive countries. The one that springs to my mind is Saudi Arabia, about which there’s a new report from Amnesty. In Saudi Arabia, of course, trades unions aren’t even allowed to exist. If nurses or care workers or teachers or street cleaners there ever contemplated a strike, they’d very quickly find themselves in prison. So what does she think of that dim-wit who is also Cameron's mate? London Mayor Boris Johnson supported Clarkson's remark, that striking public sector workers should be shot.
  Ofcom also received 736 complaints. Clarkson was forced later to apologise saying: "I didn't for a moment intend these remarks to be taken seriously - as I believe is clear if they're seen in context.
"If the BBC and I have caused any offence, I'm quite happy to apologise for it alongside them."
Unison accepted his apology and invited him to spend a day with a healthcare assistant. A day with a healthcare assistant!?

  A high court judge compared John Terry's alleged racist comments to Anton Ferdinand to that of Jeremy Clarkson by saying, that a opinionated celebrity as far as I'm aware, has got away with the recent remarks he made on a BBC 1 premier live show.
  John Terry has been ordered to appear at West London Magistrates Court on February 1st, having allegedly called QPR defender Ferdinand a ‘f******* black ****’ during a Barclays Premier League match in October. The maximum penalty is £2,500. That's 2 hours and 38 minutes out of the Multi-millionaire.
  I believe that both Terry and the Liverpool forward, Luis Suarez, are not racist. Suarez has been given a 8 match ban after the racist remarks he made at the Manchester United left-back, Patrice Evra. I can't work out why Wayne Rooney got a 3 match ban while playing for England from kicking Miodrag Dzudovic of Montenegro. Rooney cried to the Uefa and they reduced it to a 2 match ban. This has never been done before. So, if you are racist to someone then you get a 8 match ban. However, if you kick someone twice, when the ball is ten miles gone up the road, then you get a 3 match ban. Sorry, a 2 match ban. How does that work? Both Terry and Suarez are highly looked upon as heros by very young fans. If Terry is found guilty, then he should not play for England again. Already very recently, the England’s kit sponsors, Umbro, kicked off the photograph of John Terry as captain on their official website. He's not even on the England team photo.


'Did I just say something stupid again?'

  Returning to the Ortolan Bunting, the 'context' is that Jeremy Clarkson has always been self-centered and right-wing. Remember Clarkson's insult on the Prime Minster, Gorden Brown 'a one eyed Scottish idiot'
Also, has anyone ever told him that jacket and jeans will never come back into fashion. Were they ever in fashion? How can anyone like this guy?


If you like Jeremy Clarkson for his outbursts of being a major dumbass and you haven't seen this video before, then you might have a different opinion on him. All of them should be shot in front of their families! Especially Mr Clarkson. Mr Clarkson, if you ever read this, I was only joking

Wednesday 21 December 2011

'Who's coats that Jacket?'

Steve Olney, Freddie Starr and 'Who's coats that jacket?' Do you know?
 
          This is from The Freddie Starr Show, 1983 and Movietone were one of the performers

  At 08.15, Bryan and I were at the North Gate at El Hondo. The gates are only open twice week and you have to be out by 11.15. So we didn't have much time and this reserve is the size of St Mary's back home. All we saw was 1% of the reserve as we spent all our time in the elevated hide looking over Levante Lagoon. On here there were large numbers of wildfowl including 20+White-headed Duck, 10+Black-necked Grebe, 40+Red-crested Pochard, 150+Pochard, 200+Shoveler and Teal and 40+Pintail. In all the time we were there, an Osprey was on a post in the center of the lake. Up 5-6  Marsh Harrier, a female Hen Harrier and 3-4 Booted Eagle were also present. However there was no sign of any of the 3 Greater Spotted Eagle. We also just missed a Black-shoulded Kite that Graham Critchell got before we arrived. Graham stuck around with us for nearly 3 hours and we all had exchanged views. A brief look at the Poniente Lagoon, but this proved difficult with the sun low in the sky making identification almost impossible. What we did manage to ID were 120+Black-winged Stilt, 7 Avocet, 350+Greater Flaningo, Little Stints, Dulin, Little-ringed and Kentish Plover and on the post that are scattered around the lake were 10 Booted Eagle. Returning to the elevated hide, Penduline Tits, Citti's Warbler and Reed Bunting were calling and Graham heard a Moustached Warbler, which showed very well. There were also lots of Chiffchaf in the area


Looking SE over Levante Lagoon



Booted Eagle, Moustached Warbler and Penduline Tit were all in good numbers around El Fondo

  Our next stop was for Bonelli's Eagle in the cannons of Monnegre. We got there 12.30 and there was no sign of the eagles until they came in at bloody 17.00! While waiting with Eddie Walker in the hottest day of me trip so far, mid 70's, we were entertained by 4 Black Wheatear, 2 Blue Rock Thrush, 5 Thekla Lark, Chough (heard only) and 10 Grag Martin. We had almost given up when a Bonelli's eagle came straight into roost in the cliff face to join another Bonell's that we did not no was there. Later on they came out for a brief display before disappearing over the cliffs. So we left 'Finca Bonell's' Collen and Jane, http://www.fincabonelliseagle.es/  who live below the cliffs where the eagles breed. Highly recommended and a warm welcome awaits.



The cliff face where the Bonelli's Eagle roost and breed. Also favoured by Black Wheatear and Blue Rock Thrush.

The water that you can see in the distance is El Hondo


Male Blue Rock Thrush

'Who's coats this jacket?' This was taken at Santa Barbara Castle, Alicante.
Looking SW over Alicante from the castle


Yellow-legged Gull breed on the cliffs just below the castle


Here vintage Movietone, Steve Onley and Bryan Thomas, from 1983 performing 'Next Time Along' on the Freddie Starr Show


Here's Bryan Thomas now in his home in Spain singing 'Next Time Along'

Monday 19 December 2011

Tonn at San Felipe

There goes Tonn. The satellite radio-tracked Greater Spotted Eagle from Estonia

  We started off pretty late this morning and at 10.30 we were taking our time walking the paths around San Felipe Reserve. Just by the visitors center we could hear Penduline Tit. A few minutes later and there were 3 birds out in the open showing very well. However, they didn't show as well as the stunning male white-spotted Bluethroat, just a few meters down the path. Both Marsh Harrrier and Booted Eagle were enjoying the hot weather, with as many as 9-10 eagles in the air together. Nothing of note on the first lake, but as I was walking to have a look at the far lake, in the distance, a rather large raptor was flying low towards me. I put me bins up and identified it as Tonn, the Greater Spotted Eagle from Estonia. This time he showed a lot better than before and dewarfed a Marsh Harrier as it flew strongly just above the reeds. I was now following him with the scope from the hide and when he disappeared behind the trees, I looked down and there were 2 Black-necked Grebe at close range. Exsept for a Little Bittern calling close to the right of the hide, there was nothing else of interest. Returning back to the car and we got a female Hen Harrier playing fighting with a Buzzard and at least 6 more Bluethroat. None of them showing off like the first one we had earlier. This is my forth visit to San Felipe and I have not been let down by the birds.



We saw up to 3 Penduline Tit, 6-7 Bluethroat and lots of Fan-tailed Warbler around the reserve

We left the reserve and by car we started looking for the Cranes that are wintering in the nearby fields. There was no sign of the Cranes, but we were happy with close up views of many Cattle Egret, Southern Grey Shrike, Hoopoe, Serin, raptors, Grag Martin, Green Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt and a stunning male Bluethroat.  Also, on the flooded area in the garden where we had the Temmink's Stint last week were 4 Little-ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin and now 13 Little Stint.  

This cracking male white-spotted Bluethroat was taking from the car

While waiting for the Bluethroat to come out, this male Serin appeared from nowhere.

This Buzzard flew off with a snake that it had just caught

Good numbers of Cattle Egret were at the side of the roads

13 Little Stint were still present on the small pool at the back of a garden

While waiting for Tonn and other raptors to come into roost at El Hondo, 10,000-12.000 Starling came into roost.

Looking from Bryan's house this evening
  


This, in my opinion, was the best cover, KT Tunstall singing 'Tangled up in Blue' when a number of British artist payed tribute to Bob Dylan. I love too many Dylan songs, but this has got to be one at the top!