Latest News 2026
14th April
Website and project work with Darren Haines.
11th – 12th April
An overnight stay in Lyndhurst preceded by a brief visit to Acres Down on the way down. In the evening, I passed the time working on a writing project.
On the Sunday, I joined a Wiltshire Ornithological Society group trip to the Normandy Marshes Nature Reserve near Lymington. A good day, with 63 species seen by the attendees during the day. Highlights were Common Sandpiper, Little Tern, Common Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Bar Tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Curlew, Dartford Warbler and Eider, plus early Swallows and Whitethroat. A Spotted Redshank was thought to be present, but we were unable to locate it, thus having settling for the “normal”Redshank instead.
7th April
A website and project work session with Darren Haines.
2nd – 6th April
An Easter visit to the South Downs, based at Dragons Green in the aptly named George & Dragon pub. During our trip, we visited the RSPB’s Pulborough Brooks reserve on the 3rd, took the train into London on the 4th to see the Madrid Philharmonic Orchestra perform a 100 years film score music centred around the works of Ennio Morricone at the Barbican, and on the 5th we did a “double header” of the Knepp Wildlands and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust’s Arundel reserve, then home via Petersfield on the 6th.
31st March
An evening jam session with friends Al Summers and Simon Farr.
30th March
A evening dash to London and back to catch elite drummer Chad Wackerman perform with his band at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho. Fabulous performance…
29th March
A walk along the lakeside in the Fonthill Estate near Shaftesbury. The Merlin bird identification app picked up a lot of species, though seeing them was difficult due to the poor light and their elusive nature. Of the highlights were Hawfinch, Common Crossbill, Redstart, Willow Warbler, Grey Wagtail and Green Sandpiper – of these, we could only spot the Grey Wagtail, try as we might. Afterwards, a visit to Shaftesbury.
28th March
Attending Zac’s Club 100 Sprint 40 and Sprint 60 races at the Clay Pigeon Circuit near Yeovil. Some competitive driving on Zac’s part.
24th March
A session with Darren Haines working on website content and other project work.
21st – 22nd March
A sleepover in the New Forest at Burley, followed by a Wiltshire Ornithological Society group trip to Blashford Lakes near Ringwood.
20th – 21st March
An overnighter in London to catch Emma Jean Thackray perform at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho.
18th March
A late afternoon walk to Battlesbury Hill and back in fabulous warm weather. Lot’s of birdsong and Spring butterflies (Peacocks, Brimstones, Commas, Red Admiral and a Small Tortoiseshell.
17th March
Website and project work with Darren Haines.
14th – 15th March
An overnight stay in Weymouth with Amanda. Our visit included walk around the RSPB’s Radipole Lake and Lodmoor Reserves, and watching Zac participate in his first half-marathon (the Weymouth Half Marathon) on the Sunday.
13th March
An evening visit to Bristol to catch Echo & The Bunnymen at the Bristol Beacon.
11th March
Catching up with artist friend Kimberley Watts, working on a project.
3rd – 9th March
A visit to Morocco with Amanda and Zac, staying for the first two nights at Lalla Takerkoust (at the excellent Capaldi Hotel) on the edge of the Atlas Mountains, and for the final three days in nearby Marrakech.
A great place to visit, shame about the chilly and rainy weather for the first two days, but the world isn’t a perfect place (nor will it ever be!).
Highlights of Marrakech were the Jemaa el-Fna (the iconic square/marketplace), our pleasant and comfortable Riad (Riad Al Rimal) located close by in the medina, the labyrinth of souks, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the Kabana Rooftop, and the Riad Monceau’s La Pergola Rooftop and their Bistro Arabe Jazz Club beneath.
27th February – 1st March
A weekend of birding in the woodlands and heathlands of the New Forest, based at Lyndhurst. On the Saturday, in warm early Spring weather, I embarked on a solo visit to the Clay Hill Heath area in search of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sighting; though a sighting of this species eluded me, the Merlin app did pick out an individual calling. The highlight of the day was disturbing a Woodcock, which took flight at my inadvertent intrusion.
On the Sunday, I joined a group from the Wiltshire Ornithological Society (WOS) for a visit to the Acres Down area, this time in much poorer weather (rainy, breezy, chilly). Again the, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker avoided being sighted, but highlights of the day were Goshawk, Meadow Pipit and Woodlark.
26th February
Catching Seb Rochford perform at St. Georges in Bristol with his band. Cool gig.
24th February
Some project work with Darren Haines.
23rd February
1st Service on the new machine at Bahnstormer Alton.
21st – 22nd – February
A ride down to Fuzz’s place in Devon to spend a night. Good food at the Holman Clavel Inn in the Blackdown Hills.
20th – 21st February
An overnighter in London to catch the stunning Nigel Kennedy perform with a trio at Ronnie Scott’s.
13th – 14th February
A flying visit to Ronnie Scott’s to catch Polish band Bloto, then a dash down to Chatham ahead of Zac’s opening Club 100 race. Good driving all day on his part.
10th February
Working with Darren Haines on website content and other project work.
6th – 8th February
A nice stay in the village of Sidlesham in West Sussex adjoining the salt marshes of Pagham Harbour on the South Coast.
We enjoyed a couple of good birding walks on the edge of the marshes in the RSPB Pagham Harbour Reserve.
Our accommodation at the Crab & Lobster at Sidlesham was really enjoyable, run by nice friendly people. Good food as well…
3rd February
A session with Darren Haines, working on website content and print materials.
1st February
Catching jazz guitarist Bill Frisell perform with his excellent trio at the Wiltshire Music Centre at Bradford-on-Avon. A very warmly received performance from an appreciative audience.
31st January -1st February
An overnighter in Glastonbury, with visits the following day to RSPB Greylake and RSPB West Sedgemoor (both flooded and inaccessible), and a lunch stop in Langport.
30th January
Collecting my new machine, hopefully it’ll be the source of some more explorations of here, there and everywhere.
27th January
A meet up with Darren Haines and Kimberley Watts to collaborate on a project.
25th January
A morning visit to Langford Lakes, working on a long term writing based project, a bit of website content creating, followed by an late afternoon visit to the RSPB Ham Wall reserve near Glastonbury, to catch the stunning Starling murmuration.
24th January
Test riding a new BMW R1300 GS Adventure at Bahnstormer near Alton on the edge of the South Downs.
21st January
Working on various website content, plus finalising a Dive Log book.
20th January
Website and other project work with Darren Haines.
Later, an enjoyable jam session with Al Summers at Matt’s 5-O rehearsal space. Matt also joined in.
19th January
Some evening website prep work.
16th – 18th January
An excellent weekend trip to North Cornwall, staying at the fabulously located Scarlet Hotel. Amanda was pleased with her Christmas present!
On the way home, we visited the Carnewas Viewpoint and Padstow.
15th January
A website session with Darren Haines.
14th January
Attending an “Evening With Damon Hill” (the 1996 Formula One Champion) at The Forum in Bath.
10th – 11th January
A weekend of mostly organising and writing, with a brief visit to the Langford Lakes Nature Reserve on the Sunday.
6th January
A website session with Darren Haines.
3rd – 5th January
A visit to Poole and Sandbanks, for a Poole Harbour birding trip with some fellow members of the Wiltshire Ornithological Society. We got 69 species on the trip including rarities such as Spoonbill, Greater Scaup, Black Throated Diver, Great Northern Diver and Black Necked Grebe.
Also, we visited Studland and had a good walk through the nature reserve and along the beach, sighting a male Dartford Warbler flitting among the Gorse.
1st January
Happy New Year!. An early start watching the sunrise over the Imber Ranges, then a day of sorting and organising.