Veedub

The RAF C17 Globemaster was circling Burton again today !! It circled about a dozen times over 2 hours, amazing sight . Probably landed at Donnington. Theyre based in Brize Norton and theres only half dozen or so still in service

Some pics of our wild flower garden today.

Steve will be delighted at that ! 😄 Glad the mystery solved

Just spotted a Sedge Warbler at the pool with his stripey badger face !! Flitting from bush to bush 😃Also a Heron and a Peacock Butterfly .

Great photo Steve ! 😃

Here you go, click on any of these and they'll play you a song . Try the Finches to start with ? Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch . Click on the A to Z list. https://www.british-birdsongs.uk/

First time me and my brother went to Wigan. 1978, i was 17 and my brother rob was 15. My Mom and Dad agreed to let us go after months of arguing , anyhow, we got the train from Wolverhampton to change at Warrington or Crewe ? can't remember . We followed a few of the big kids at the station with soul patches on their bags, got on a train to Wigan.. it was the wrong train ! think we ended up in Bolton after midnight , then the people we were following disappeared ! We got a late night bus then a taxi.. Sharing the taxi to Wigan were two kids going to the casino who were off their faces, they were eating matches as well. me and Rob sat there dumbstruck wondering what was happening.. Pelsall youth club to this .. Anyway, we got to the Casino and i just remember the heat and the other worldliness of walking in there, like I was in a dream or something , but nothing in my life before had ever felt so intense or so real.. . We went a few weeks after, got on a coach at Junction 10 Walsall , dont know where it came from , just heard about it . Sat down, all big kids on there, cassette players going, then they were passing syringes round , and me and Rob was leaning over the top of the chairs watching them inject , dumbstruck again. ! Sure my Mom wouldnt have let us out if she knew !

Bloody hell Steve !! thats a bit traumatic !! hope you're alright mate . time to down a few beers methinks ?

Ha ha , thats brilliant. Yes nature seems to be thriving , I'm sure the birds and animals know somethings different. They're more in tune with nature than we will ever be .

Lovely pictures there Louise 👍. Just makes you wanna sit on that bank with a picnic 😃

A nice walk up the lane to the pond this morning 😃. The Little Grebe has chicks !. Yellowhammer singing away, another Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting. Also listening to the Reed Warbler but only got a brief glimpse .

A military Boeing C17 just flew over Burton a few minutes ago ! As it banked there was a large howl from the jets like the Vulcan used to make ! By the time i scrambled to get the camera it was about a mile away .

Fantastic colours and lighting on your pics Steve !

Today we walked to the pool at the end of the lane we live next to. It was drizzling and overcast hence the poor picture quality , but saw some great birds then came back for a sausage and mushroom sandwich , winner 👍 A few firsts for us this year 😃. a singing Whitethroat , short video clip too, heard a Cuckoo, also heard a Reed Warbler with its scratchy song in the reedbed , just caught a glimpse but no pics. There were hundreds of tadpoles too. A Skylark camouflaged against the soil and a singing Wren.Then a Little Grebe . whitethroat.mp4

That is truly amazing !!!! WOW !! Saw one once .. of all places it was near Birmingham 4 years ago. One appeared in an old overgrown quarry and stayed for a few weeks, Bird watchers came from all over the UK to see it .. To have one looking in your back window is beyond your wildest dreams !!!!

Lovely photo Steve 🙂, really captured the beautiful markings of a bird we don't often see here

Picked this 1960s Russian watch up. A Raketa Atom. 21 jewels Space age/atomic design. lovely patination on the champagne face. Works perfect.

Cheers Ste !

We cleared a corner of our garden last year and seeded it with wild flower seeds. Its starting to come to life now, looking forward to see how it develops. Loads of butterflies and bees attracted by it already . It was so easy to do, just a £15 bag of seed, and its easy maintenance now. Any weeds get choked out and all that needs doing is to cut it all back once a year. The seed pack was 20 odd wild flower species , and as there's hundreds of buds at the moment , i'm excited to see what it'll be like in a few weeks ! Here's a few pics from today as it's starting to flower.

One of my favourite records, Its a Shame by The Spinners.. This live performance makes me go goosepimples, , the harmonising, the dance steps, the pure joy and soul. oh, and the drummer nails it !

Thanks ! just happened to be a lovely sunset and in the right place. my camera was just a tiny 100 quid Canon 🙂

Posted this a few years back... In the winter of 1980 , I went to Wigan on a lambretta. I picked my mate up from Pelsall near Walsall (Timmy Thacker). , and in the freezing cold, we rode all the way up the M6, 80 odd miles , and it even started to snow and sleet . we were going flat out at 55 mph and had to stop at every services else we'd have froze to death. My scoot was a 1969 GP125 id bought for £50 dragged out of a neighbours shed.. we had no AA, no tools or mechanical knowledge , but we made it ... Went down a one way street in Wigan ( the wrong way) and cars flashing us , then got to the Casino, we leaned the scoot against the wall on the side of the Casino cus the stand was broke. I remember the place was nearly empty, just a couple of hundred there, which was nothing for the Casino ! it was a crap night really, and the next morning, my bike was still there, and we had to bump start it outside . The exhaust cracked as we got on the M6 and it was deafening all the way home and losing power.. nearly got wiped out by a few lorries, but made it home... I can still picture Timmy on the back with his Fonze style leather bomber jacket shivering to death . we were only 18 and it was one of the madder things ive done.... To this day, I can remember it clearly. But we did it... and every time i see Timmy , he says "remember when we went to Wigan on your scooter mick ! "

Heres one I took many years ago of Brightons West Pier whilst there was still a lot of it left . .

Swift sighting Staffs yesterday !😀

We have a blackbird thats calling " What are you doin " in a Brummie accent ... every morning over and over... I will record it hopefully , tomorrow and post it !! lol !