Pieces of Lyme

A photo-montage of some of the more colourful portions of the Dorset seaside town of Lyme Regis.

The Great Steam Up!

Traction engine wheel complete with solid rubber tyre.

I am taking a few days off - and happen, pretty much by accident, to find myself within striking distance of the Great Dorset Steam Rally - a massive celebration of the age of steam-power which blossoms into smokey action annually on a remote farm near the Dorset town of Blandford Forum. 

Here traction engines large and small steam and smoke and, quite honestly, cavort! It provided a stunning spectacle on a hot dry August bank holiday Monday. The highlight is to see some of these giants under full steam racing up and down a hill (see the final picture below), taking the viewer back to a world where steam was the main source of power.

One of the smaller and more delicate steam driven vechicles.

A line of massive steam rollers - the machines that used to roll the roads into being.

The traction engine displays included showing how they powered sawmills, hay bailing and emphasizsd their importance in World War One.

Wood sawing.

Excellent improvised use of beer (pub) umbrella.

A line of beautiful carnival steam engines.

Shoe engine on the move.

And from the front.

Traction engines - many pulling heavy loads make circuits around the arena. 

Birds in transition.

Just a few photos of things that show me we are now deep into Summer and Autumn starts to beckon.

Firstly the two-tone starling fledglings of this year are midway through getting into their dark with spots adult plumage. They almost look like a different species.

Kevin (the dove) has grown up into a handsome young male.

(More about him another time)

And the thistles (and their admirers) have reached their peak.

Six cygnets and their parents - well grown and all looking healthy!

Whaling in Japan - the latest!

I have just published a new article explaining what is happening in Japan concerning whaling. It is not good news.

"Surely there is nothing new to say about Japanese whaling — they continue to do it and many of us continue to deplore it, right?

Well, actually Japan has just made some moves that have deepened even further the rift between nations on this issue into a vast gaping chasm. In recent weeks, Japan has relaunched its North Pacific whaling program, with a bigger kill quota than before for sei whales in the North Pacific. Perhaps even more significantly, Japan has passed a new Whaling Act that dramatically underpins its whaling activities...".

Read more HERE

Looking for the roots of democracy.

Salisbury Cathedral spire is famous. It can be seen from miles around and around and around it flies a super-predator, the peregrine falcon. I could see one and hear its distinctive screams during a recent Saturday afternoon visit.  Outside the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has erected a stand to tell people about these birds. Inside the cathedral  cloister another RSPB sign suggests that peregrines have lived there as long as there has been a spire. 

But was not here for the birds. I mean to look even further back on time towards the roots of modern democracy. Salisbury Cathedral holds one of the four remaining versions of the Magna Carta. (No one of these is considered the original - all have the same status.)

This is the document that started the drive to modern democracy in 1215 when the then king (John) agreed to devolve power enshrined in a series of principles. For example, these included the right of free passage. Clause 42 states that ‘In future it shall be lawful for any man to leave and return to our kingdom unharmed and without fear….’.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the US President, said in 1941 in his inaugural speech: “The democratic aspiration is no mere recent phase in human history. It is human history. It permeated the life of ancient peoples. It blazed anew in the Middle Ages. It was written anew in Magna Carta.”

Physically the MC is a small piece of parchment covered in fine hand-written Latin text. 

Salisbury Cathedral

Some birds of Summer 2017

Feed me! Mother black bird and almost full-size offspring.

I think that it has been quite a good year for birds so far (just entering August now) here in SW England. There was a long mainly warm and dry period during the main fledging period when the young birds left their nests but would not have been full feathered.  Currently we are in a very wet spell but hopefully the youngsters are now better able to cope with the wet - and it is not that cold!

Here are a few photographs from the last few months from the garden and canal.

Begging rewarded.

Dad looks on!

Several weeks ago - duckling looked like this. See how she grows up below.

Young black bird considers its independence.

Young blue tit at the fat ball feeder.

Some days have been very busy at the feeders - young blue tits and young long-tailed tits seem to visit together. There is perhaps safety in numbers!

Young long-tailed tit.

I believe this is the same duckling as that shown above. She is virtually
indistinguishable from her mother now. The youngster is at the back.

A less often seen visitor - a jay hiding in the trees.

Mother and youngster again at the end of July-
she still has no flight feathers and, when frightened ,'
runs' over the water or hides behind mum.

And finally....

Bloody cheek!

Miscreant enjoying some pomegranate.