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Walked over to the local park yesterday morning, managed to catch sight of a green woodpecker.

I'm not sure, but I was surprised to see it, at first I thought it was a blackcap. Not long after I had posted photos, I had a request from a bird ringer who wanted to trap it. Four visits later, the bird was caught, Others have been seen since the Autumn at Spurn Head, Anniesland, Glasgow in October, Shetland and Landguard.

It was feeding on a coconut full of fat, seeds and insects about 8 feet from the kitchen door, but was quick to move off if anyone was about. I have posted a link to the photos of the bird when it was ringed. www.flickr.com/photos/16582147@N07/albums/72177720313997310/ Short video clip of the bird feeding. www.flickr.com/photos/16582147@N07/albums/72177720313016247/

Have had a Siberian Lesser Whitethroat, feeding in the garden from late October til early February. It was trapped, ringed, and recorded in January and DNA testing pointed to a blythi rather than halimodendri subspecies.

Thank you, I did wonder if I should have taken a tripod with me. This was a slightly earlier shot.

2807 at Broadway about to leave about 5.00 pm.

Excellent pork pies, and pints of mild on offer.

I have had a great deal of fun with a small waterproof camera trying to photograph fish. This group was at Menton on 30th September.

Twelve days ago I almost stepped on this adder at Arne. I saw another sleepy adder on Ballard Down the day before.

A recreation of work in progress on the office building on the right might be a nice challenge for a modeller.

BBC coverage. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-66441796

This morning I noticed a Network Rail gauging train move slowly along the Portbury Line under Clifton Suspension Bridge. I suppose that it might be measuring how much additional work is needed to remove the vegetation. It remains to be seen when the heavy work on reinstatement of the line to Portishead starts. https://www.flickr.com/photos/16582147@N07/53041970267

During the spring, I photographed a pair of great spotted woodpeckers in the local park. On Monday morning I watched one of the chicks ease itself out of the nesting hole. A moment later, the adult male appeared.

Tirpitz and Bismarck took up quite a large proportion of time, men and material all of which could have been better employed in building U boats.

The Secret Horsepower Race by Callum Douglas is a great volume on engine development for fighters in this period. I can thoroughly recommend it. I had wondered why the Italian development of inline aircraft engines floundered in the 1930s, perhaps embargoes on ores and metals for engineering had an impact after Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia, perhaps the Regia Aeronautica was also hamstrung by poor decisions made re engine development, and material use. https://ospreypublishing.com/us/osprey-blog/2018/the-regia-aeronautica-another-victim-of-mussolini-s-regime/

There is other footage of a highball bomb hitting HMS Malaya on Youtube. This link mentions the French ship. http://www.helensburgh-heritage.co.uk/index.php/heritage/military/1564-battleship-was-in-two-world-wars Re Tirpitz - FAA dive bombing raids, RN chariot manned torpedoes, RN X craft submarines with limpet mines, conventional bombing than finally 617 Sqdn Lancasters with Tallboy bombs. Re Mosquito a true multi-role aircraft, fast, high flying bomber, no turrets, powerful engines, wooden construction lowered its radar signature - see Callum Douglas's quotes from Luftwaffe archives on German frustration on difficulties on tracking and intercepting Mosquitos. It was as well that Freeman and De Havilland were able have it built. Apologies if the posts have strayed too far from original topic.

Re Highball and Mosquito, tests at Loch Striven against former French Battleship Courbet and HMS Malaya.

Witnessed a series of stand offs between parakeets and squirrels in W Essex borderlands over Christmas.

Pre Christmas run on December 10th 2022 for Duchess of Sutherland at Bath.

Only just caught up with your post, I'm second from the right, probably wondering if I had made best use of the conditions. Hope you enjoyed the day out.

Duchess of Sutherland running alongside The Severn at Purton.

Had intended to photograph the purple liveried Taw Valley crossing over the Victoria Bridge, but settled for this shot near Northwood Lane. I did remove the green shades from the shot.

Recent photograph (from 3 weeks ago) of nuthatches mating, earlier that morning, a pair of great spotted woodpeckers were doing the same thing, albeit at a great height.

Thanks for posting your photographs of the two CR locomotives, I would have loved to have travelled over to see them this weekend. Hope you had a good day out.