Author Archives: admin

The OC

Posted on May 14, 2017 by admin

Yesterday saw a rather special musical event in Oxford: the 17th performance (since it was written in 1930) of the Opus clavicembalisticum (hereafter OC) by Sorabji. Supplier of stamina and skill on this occasion was Jonathan Powell. Sorabji was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Oxford, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Otmoor Days

Posted on May 11, 2017 by admin

A healthy walk from Headington is the Otmoor reserve, which the RSPB has been rehabilitating over the last twenty years. The reserve is dominated by a series of ponds and lagoons, so waterbirds are a big feature. Lapwings have been … Continue reading →

Posted in England, Nature, Oxford | 1 Comment

Little Guys

Posted on May 2, 2017 by admin

In between raptor and heron appreciation, we’ve been taking some time recently to enjoy the smaller dinosaurs. The main disadvantage is of course that they’re harder to spot and (especially) to photograph, so picture quality decreases with size. In reverse … Continue reading →

Posted in England, Germany, Nature, Oxford | 1 Comment

Corvid Collection

Posted on March 9, 2017 by admin

We tend to focus on the big, scary, and generally impressive raptors, but this part of the world also has some splendid corvid species to enjoy. Perhaps the most common here are the rooks. Their bare beaks remind me a … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria, Nature, Slovakia | Comments Off on Corvid Collection

And then there were two

Posted on March 7, 2017 by admin

At the end of February, we welcomed back the first stork of the year. A few days later, and we found: Not just a second stork, but the right second stork. A close-up of the ring revealed that this was … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Slovakia | 1 Comment

Birthday Present

Posted on February 25, 2017 by admin

Perfect (slightly early) birthday present today: first stork of the year! No ring, so it’s not our female; sentimentally, I’m hoping it’s our male (finding distinguishing features on storks is beyond my powers). Whoever he is, he’s tired and filthy, … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Slovakia | 1 Comment

Be Aware … Be Very Aware

Posted on January 20, 2017 by admin

The 20th of January is, of course, a very important date across the world. Yes, it’s International Penguin Awareness Day! Here are a few things to be aware of. Penguins can fly: Penguins make pictures perfect: Penguins sing: Penguins dance: … Continue reading →

Posted in Antarctica, Nature | 1 Comment

Reading List 6

Posted on January 1, 2017 by admin

40 books read in the second half of 2016. The emphasis has been on “straight” literature, mainly because I’ve been working through some of the mountain of paper books which I bought in my youth and never got round to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 3 Comments

Black and white and full of nuts

Posted on November 27, 2016 by admin

All the best animals, of course, are black and white: Bratislavan winters offer another splendid candidate: the magpie. Apart from the very occasional tit, these are the only birds to have noticed that our windowsill produces peanuts each morning; something … Continue reading →

Posted in Antarctica, Nature, Pets, Slovakia | 1 Comment

Four Non Birds

Posted on November 1, 2016 by admin

Although the birds are the most conspicuous wildlife, I’m just as happy to find members of other classes. Recently I’ve met: a very elegant arachnid, who played dead when I started poking around nearby; a red squirrel looking down on … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Slovakia | 1 Comment