Tattoodave

Thanks Martyn, never heard of a Red Veined Darter, there were a couple of males being quite aggressive towards each other and the Emperor was chasing everything away, it's a pond at a garden centre that has terrapins and fish in it though it's always green. There's not much standing water here, though there are plenty of mosquitos.

I'm hoping this is an adult male Ruddy Darter This might be a Keeled Skimmer, though I couldn't get close enough to tell and this was an Emperor, that decided to land for a while, again too far away for a clear shot, still, I'm satisfied with one of the three

As the only time I've been outdoors in the last couple of days is to check on a neighbours cats, I've no idea where the swifts are, haven't heard them, but seen lots of martins and swallows.

Taken in Crete a couple of years ago These curious piles of stones are done by individuals who walk the Samaria gorge, Crete.

Doesn't deal with the same volume of water though Steve

Nice one Billy, would have been on the floor too, if my back allowed.

I was told late last Spring, by a twitcher when he was over here, he'd seen the site and said everyone was keeping quiet about it until they fledged, so hopefully they've managed to raise a brood, though I don't know whether they'd stay or what their offspring would do. Dave

I heard that Tengmalm's Owl was breeding in Norfolk too, now that I'd like to see

I think she must have, it was in the cactus garden in Paloma Park, Benalmadena.

I'm hoping this was a Common Darter, I had no idea that I took it. This big girl was being exercised locally, I was told not to touch her sadly, I thought she could use a hug This had me fooled until I got closer, some wag carved it and stuck it on a rock at the Sierra de Las Nieves park

I've had Little owl, Barn owl and Tawny owl as pets, all trained to the fist, and have flown an Eagle owl from the fist too, but then eccentric has always been a way of life for me, had a Bengal Tigress share my bed for nearly two years, but that's another story. I hear owls in southern Spain, but have yet to seen any here. Goshawks and Eagles are in abundance though.

Beachy Head was my first sighting of an Osprey as it was heading back to Africa, being mobbed by a few corvines, couldn't tell what they were, probably crows, that was many years ago too. Supposedly they have Raven's nesting there now too.

I've seen Hoopoe in Wiltshire Steve, and a Golden Oriole, but that was years ago. I see Hoopoe on a regular basis here, mostly the males as they are more obvious. The swifts are plentiful, as are the flies and buzzing insects, so there's plenty for them to eat. As for the rain, how I'd enjoy it, I've seen very little since February, in fact, the most rain I've seen since then was when I was in Eastbourne having gone back for a funeral, and I only then had time to nip in a pub for a pint of Guinness, allowing for crossing a busy road, the pouring time and a raging thirst, I'm guessing 15 minutes maximum, it was all finished when I left the pub. It's almost semi desert here, lots of palm trees though, and you don't see many of them in Manchester. I'm almost looking forward to a warm Christmas, and hope to be on the beach for it. Dave

I'm pleased to say that some swifts stay in this part of Spain all winter or I'm led to believe they do, though the swallows and martins fly south, probably not as far as their northern counterparts however. As this will be my first winter in Spain, and if it's as dry as the last one I'll be happy, though for all the wrong reasons as this part of the country desperately needs rain, I'm hoping to see lots of new things. I hope to get a close up shot of a spotless starling before long, and maybe even a Hoopoe, and if I can get a bit of plant hunting in the Sierra Nevadas I'll be more than happy.

DJedi

Spyder's is criminally good, the others are just criminal

I still consider soul music lovers as elite, they know what life is all about

I understood where you were coming from, there were lots of cliques amongst the soul elite in every town and you usually made your mind up a week or more before where you were going because of the DJ line up or just the love of the venue, I'm sure if we'd been closer to Wigan instead of having a 5 hour journey to get there we'd have been at the Beachcomber and M's as well as gracing the main floor, after-all, we were just kids looking to have a good time.

Whenever we went up to Wigan it was always stuffed to the rafters, as was Cleethorpes, I just think there were people criss-crossing the country on a massive scale through the 70's going to different venues, I doubt if the numbers were affected at all, maybe in my wide-eyed excitement it all just seemed magical

I was based in the Peterborough area and used to do Wigan one weekend and Cleethorpes the next, usually straight after a Friday nighter at St. Ives, Kettering or the Wirrina, Peterborough, it was never a Student's Union Bar job either, just a small gang of young teenage lads that wanted a good weekend

It's happening, as we speak plans are being made and an announcement is imminent, so get your thinking cap on and be ready with your nominations

Had to propel itself with it's wings along the ground, no resistance to being handled and buzzed me soon after relaunching, so probably said thanks, at least I can dream that I'm Dr. Doolittle

Lagerstroemia indica in the park just outside the Bonsai museum in Marbella My favourite tree in the museum, a Japanese Black Pine, which with some serious wiring would be exquisite

Did you write the précis for my English lit books? Very funny

Watched it this morning, thanks to whoever posted it on Youtube or whatever it's called. Always feel appalled that they cover the same ground mostly that has been done before, and never improve on what has been shown or is readily viewable if you care to search in these easily accessible search engine days, not a mention of the 80's discoveries and the crossover scene, the current big name DJ's, not the fossils. I'd be more interested in seeing something about the Stafford days and the plethora of stunning tracks that got to be heard there, still, if Ian D is right, it may well be on the cards, and I'll get to see it before I draw my pension.