Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[celtic]

Sigh....


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39830447

Arrest the viewer for wasting police time. And being an idiot.

How was Malta? I looked out for you, but you managed to avoid me

[EvilPie]

Sigh....


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39830447

Don't sigh Tom.

This sort of thing is actually really good as it shows that injustice in the name of religion is rife everywhere in the world not just those hot places we see on TV.

[TightEnd]

isn't this spectacular?

'Concorde' cloud forms over Ribblehead viaduct

Click to see full-size image.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-39845625

[Karabiner]

I saw what looked like a couple of tit-sized parakeets on our communal lawn as I drove home yesterday afternoon - black and whiote faces with red on top of the head and yellow wings.

I grabbed my 'phone to take a picture but the window winding down startled them although my car pulling up did not and they flew off to the roof and beyond.

After a bit of research on Google I discovered that these striking little birds were goldfinches which I don't think I have ever seen before, although I seem to recall you used to catch them decades ago. Didn't you say something about crossing them with a canary(?) for an excellent song-bird many moons ago in one of your famous tales of yesteryear?

Are they rare now especially in an urban environment?

[RED-DOG]

I saw what looked like a couple of tit-sized parakeets on our communal lawn as I drove home yesterday afternoon - black and whiote faces with red on top of the head and yellow wings.

I grabbed my 'phone to take a picture but the window winding down startled them although my car pulling up did not and they flew off to the roof and beyond.

After a bit of research on Google I discovered that these striking little birds were goldfinches which I don't think I have ever seen before, although I seem to recall you used to catch them decades ago. Didn't you say something about crossing them with a canary(?) for an excellent song-bird many moons ago in one of your famous tales of yesteryear?

Are they rare now especially in an urban environment?

No Ralph, not rare by any means, but perhaps a little more shy than most. You will usually hear them before you see them, if they are in a group (The collective name is a charm BTW) they will be calling to one another with a distinctive ti-pit sound. Once you hear and identify it you will never forget.

The best places to see them is on rough, uncultivated ground, feeding on weed seeds. They are especially fond of thistle and teasel.

Occasionally you will hear a cock bird singing, perhaps to attract a mate or to stake his claim on a piece of territory, or maybe just for the joy of it. His song is beautiful, sweet and tinkling, like wind chimes.

My dad and I spent countless hours breeding, catching, crossing, and showing goldfinches. Back then, as now, the 'right' bird would sell for several times a man's weekly wage and a good 'call bird' (used as a Judas to lure wild birds into a trap) was worth more than it's weight in gold.

Even though the best birds commanded good prices, they were so few and far between that you would probably go broke if you tried to breed them for a living. It was definitely a labour of love.

We always caught our birds in the dead of winter, that way they had no young to leave and it was easy to get them to eat and accept being confined to a cage. In fact, often when we released a poor specimen we struggled to prevent it slipping back into the aviary every time we opened the door.

I am probably the least religious person you will ever meet, but every time I hear a goldfinch sing in the wild, I can't help thinking that it's my dad looking down on me, so I stop what I'm doing, listen to the song and whisper a few words to him.



Goldfinch cock on teasel.








Rare white Goldfinch mule.

One of the pitfalls of crossing goldfinches with canaries was that the resulting offspring would have a tendency to include some canary notes in his song. To be a top class mule, he not only had to look right, he had to sound right too.





 

[Karabiner]

You say that you used to catch them in the dead of winter Tom, but according to Google they migrate to North Africa when it gets cold.

Is it just the nesh ones that migrate or has Google got it round it's neck?

[Rod Paradise]

It's been a year and a half since I finished my last bit of stained glass.

The reason for this is I took on a very complex design. Well it's still not finished but I'm finally on the home straight - the 2 things I worried most about (the trout & the otter, looking at all realistic) have thankfully worked out not bad. Chuffed with the results so far, need to get it finished now, actually been asked to do a piece for a pub - to go on the gantry

[Rod Paradise]

You say that you used to catch them in the dead of winter Tom, but according to Google they migrate to North Africa when it gets cold.

Is it just the nesh ones that migrate or has Google got it round it's neck?

RSPB site says many migrate, presumably meaning some remain.

[RED-DOG]

From the RSPB Ralp. 



Where to see them
Anywhere there are scattered bushes and trees, rough ground with thistles and other seeding plants. Likes orchards, parks, gardens, heathland and commons. Less common in upland areas and most numerous in southern England.

When to see them
All year round.

What they eat
Seeds and insects in summer.

Population
Europe   UK breeding*   UK wintering*   UK passage*
-   313,000 territories   100,000 birds   -
* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.

[RED-DOG]

It's been a year and a half since I finished my last bit of stained glass.0

The reason for this is I took on a very complex design. Well it's still not finished but I'm finally on the home straight - the 2 things I worried most about (the trout & the otter, looking at all realistic) have thankfully worked out not bad. Chuffed with the results so far, need to get it finished now, actually been asked to do a piece for a pub - to go on the gantry

That's a really nice piece Rod. Where did you get the design? 

[tikay]

I saw what looked like a couple of tit-sized parakeets on our communal lawn as I drove home yesterday afternoon - black and whiote faces with red on top of the head and yellow wings.

I grabbed my 'phone to take a picture but the window winding down startled them although my car pulling up did not and they flew off to the roof and beyond.

After a bit of research on Google I discovered that these striking little birds were goldfinches which I don't think I have ever seen before, although I seem to recall you used to catch them decades ago. Didn't you say something about crossing them with a canary(?) for an excellent song-bird many moons ago in one of your famous tales of yesteryear?

Are they rare now especially in an urban environment?

No Ralph, not rare by any means, but perhaps a little more shy than most. You will usually hear them before you see them, if they are in a group (The collective name is a charm BTW) they will be calling to one another with a distinctive ti-pit sound. Once you hear and identify it you will never forget.

The best places to see them is on rough, uncultivated ground, feeding on weed seeds. They are especially fond of thistle and teasel.

Occasionally you will hear a cock bird singing, perhaps to attract a mate or to stake his claim on a piece of territory, or maybe just for the joy of it. His song is beautiful, sweet and tinkling, like wind chimes.

My dad and I spent countless hours breeding, catching, crossing, and showing goldfinches. Back then, as now, the 'right' bird would sell for several times a man's weekly wage and a good 'call bird' (used as a Judas to lure wild birds into a trap) was worth more than it's weight in gold.

Even though the best birds commanded good prices, they were so few and far between that you would probably go broke if you tried to breed them for a living. It was definitely a labour of love.

We always caught our birds in the dead of winter, that way they had no young to leave and it was easy to get them to eat and accept being confined to a cage. In fact, often when we released a poor specimen we struggled to prevent it slipping back into the aviary every time we opened the door.

I am probably the least religious person you will ever meet, but every time I hear a goldfinch sing in the wild, I can't help thinking that it's my dad looking down on me, so I stop what I'm doing, listen to the song and whisper a few words to him.



Goldfinch cock on teasel.








Rare white Goldfinch mule.

One of the pitfalls of crossing goldfinches with canaries was that the resulting offspring would have a tendency to include some canary notes in his song. To be a top class mule, he not only had to look right, he had to sound right too.





 

One of the most beautifully crafted posts this site has ever seen. Your presence jumps off the page.

How long did it take, & how many tweaks & fettles were there before you got it just so?

[RED-DOG]

I saw what looked like a couple of tit-sized parakeets on our communal lawn as I drove home yesterday afternoon - black and whiote faces with red on top of the head and yellow wings.

I grabbed my 'phone to take a picture but the window winding down startled them although my car pulling up did not and they flew off to the roof and beyond.

After a bit of research on Google I discovered that these striking little birds were goldfinches which I don't think I have ever seen before, although I seem to recall you used to catch them decades ago. Didn't you say something about crossing them with a canary(?) for an excellent song-bird many moons ago in one of your famous tales of yesteryear?

Are they rare now especially in an urban environment?

No Ralph, not rare by any means, but perhaps a little more shy than most. You will usually hear them before you see them, if they are in a group (The collective name is a charm BTW) they will be calling to one another with a distinctive ti-pit sound. Once you hear and identify it you will never forget.

The best places to see them is on rough, uncultivated ground, feeding on weed seeds. They are especially fond of thistle and teasel.

Occasionally you will hear a cock bird singing, perhaps to attract a mate or to stake his claim on a piece of territory, or maybe just for the joy of it. His song is beautiful, sweet and tinkling, like wind chimes.

My dad and I spent countless hours breeding, catching, crossing, and showing goldfinches. Back then, as now, the 'right' bird would sell for several times a man's weekly wage and a good 'call bird' (used as a Judas to lure wild birds into a trap) was worth more than it's weight in gold.

Even though the best birds commanded good prices, they were so few and far between that you would probably go broke if you tried to breed them for a living. It was definitely a labour of love.

We always caught our birds in the dead of winter, that way they had no young to leave and it was easy to get them to eat and accept being confined to a cage. In fact, often when we released a poor specimen we struggled to prevent it slipping back into the aviary every time we opened the door.

I am probably the least religious person you will ever meet, but every time I hear a goldfinch sing in the wild, I can't help thinking that it's my dad looking down on me, so I stop what I'm doing, listen to the song and whisper a few words to him.



Goldfinch cock on teasel.








Rare white Goldfinch mule.

One of the pitfalls of crossing goldfinches with canaries was that the resulting offspring would have a tendency to include some canary notes in his song. To be a top class mule, he not only had to look right, he had to sound right too.





 

One of the most beautifully crafted posts this site has ever seen. Your presence jumps off the page.

How long did it take, & how many tweaks & fettles were there before you got it just so?

As you well know Tone, it usually takes me half a day to write a paragraph, but not so this time. When I'm passionate about the subject, the words just seem to come spewing out of me and spread over the page like they have a will of their own.

When it happens like that I don't really care about the prose, l just want to get the information across.

[Rod Paradise]

It's been a year and a half since I finished my last bit of stained glass.

The reason for this is I took on a very complex design. Well it's still not finished but I'm finally on the home straight - the 2 things I worried most about (the trout & the otter, looking at all realistic) have thankfully worked out not bad. Chuffed with the results so far, need to get it finished now, actually been asked to do a piece for a pub - to go on the gantry

That's a really nice piece Rod. Where did you get the design? 

I drew it myself using a stained glass design package on the computer. So the complex design is my fault completely.

[RED-DOG]

It's been a year and a half since I finished my last bit of stained glass.

The reason for this is I took on a very complex design. Well it's still not finished but I'm finally on the home straight - the 2 things I worried most about (the trout & the otter, looking at all realistic) have thankfully worked out not bad. Chuffed with the results so far, need to get it finished now, actually been asked to do a piece for a pub - to go on the gantry

That's a really nice piece Rod. Where did you get the design? 

I drew it myself using a stained glass design package on the computer. So the complex design is my fault completely.

Great work. Is there a way you can sign it like you would a painting?

[typhoon13]

Anyone heard a Cuckoo yet this year?