New album! '𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴' 9 pastoral indie pop gems, produced by us and mixed by the absolute legend that is John McEntire. Out 20/03 on LP/CD/DL via @fikarecordings.com. You can pre-order + listen to the first single at: fikarecordings.bandcamp.com/album/after-...

The only surviving fixture in today's Highland League programme is Fraserburgh vs Wick. For the Wick supporter, this is a 400 mile, 9 hour round trip. It's half time. Do you stay or do you go?

Magpies bringing sticks to a regular nesting site in neighbour's garden this morning, braving sub-zero temperatures and 10cm of frozen snow on the ground.

Bill Direen Live at Ajax 1994-08-08 https://archive.org/details/ajc02432_billdireen1994-08-08

Rachel's Live at Lounge Ax 1997-11-15 https://archive.org/details/ajc02438_rachels_1997-11-15

Rachel's Live at Lounge Ax 1997-07-23 https://archive.org/details/ajc02437_rachels_1997-07-23

@thedecliningwinter.bsky.social @anewlinerelated.bsky.social

Minimum 9 Crossbill present 11.15am today.

Surprised to find a wintering Chiffchaff along the River Rea footpath at Wychall Reservoir, Kings Norton this afternoon. @ecorecord.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Lickey Hills - flock of 15+ Brambling this afternoon in the area marked. Feeding on the ground, flushed into nearby trees but didn't go far. I've seen Brambling in a similar area in previous years so presumably a reliable food source. #worcsbirds

Birding 2025 via @birdtrack.bsky.social - 185 species in the UK. 60 sites, all but one on a line joining Slimbridge to Bempton. 48 in the Midlands, 8 in East Yorks. Lifers - Firecrest, Woodlark, Lesser Scaup, Bluethroat And the 20 most widespread species I haven't seen this year are...

Blackcap pair in our south Birmingham garden this morning. Like clockwork, these birds - Christmas week every year. Dozen Redwings and half a dozen Blackbirds stripping berries.

UNBELIEVABLE! 9 Tundra Bean Goose, 74+ White-fronted Goose and Pink-footed Goose among hundreds of Geese south of Upton upon Severn!! Park in UoS, view only from PROW. #WorcsBirds

Blue Aeroplanes Live at Lounge Ax 1989-11-04 https://archive.org/details/ajc02314_blueaeroplanes1989-11-04

Let's hope East London's business owners are prepared to play along when this happens.

Moonshake live in Chicago. Well worth a listen. The depth of this collection of live recordings is incredible, and still thousands to come. Three very early Bedhead recordings posted yesterday too. @davidlancecallahan.bsky.social archive.org/details/ajc0... archive.org/details/ajc0...

Warley Woods Church famously boasts a holy relic known as Carol's Cervix (which for archaic/traditional reasons is spelt here as 'Servics'). The venerated organ is displayed in an ornate golden reliquary, and paraded around the streets each year at Christmas.

Epic recovery report just received! ⚠️ A Turnstone I trapped using a homemade walk-in trap has been recaptured in the 🌍 world’s 🌎 northernmost continuously inhabited settlement. Ringed on 12 February 2024 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex 🇬🇧, it was re-trapped on 08 June 2025 in Alert, Nunavut… 🇨🇦 (🧵 1/2)

Yesterday I witnessed one of the biggest promoter f'ck ups off all time! 17th October - Birmingham Town Hall The Beat ft Dave Wakling + Bad Manners 17th October - O2 Institute The Undertones + The Beat ft Ranking Rodger Jnr

Check the record Check the guy's peace record Check the record Check the guy's peace record He is not appreciated

Out today. vinyl sold out around breakfast time but there’s still download. Free e-mag with it thedecliningwinter.bandcamp.com/album/lakes-...

Scotland vs Haiti has 0-0 written all over it.

Celebrating Bandcamp Friday by deleting the 150 emails I've received today without reading any of them.

Supersonic Festival returns 25–26 April 2026 across two stages at The Crossing‼ First wave of tickets released this Thursday at 11AM including… ✨ Early Bird Tickets ✨ Solidarity Tickets ✨ Payment Plan Tickets will be available here – bit.ly/supersonic20...

This list always generates hours of catch-up listening. The only worthwhile EOY music list nowadays. Personally astounded that @gweniferraymond.bsky.social didn't make it in.

Very enjoyable few hours at WWT Slimbridge earlier. Bright and breezy. 2 Firecrest (UK lifer), Bittern, 3 Little Stint, 2 Ruff, Med Gull, hundreds of Dunlin and Golden Plover alongside the usual array of winter wildfowl and waders. Good to see a couple of the Earlswood regulars (neither on here).

SoundCloud? Is it 2015?

'Broadens Minelli’s appeal and deepens his own highly individual take on dub production. Whether or not you buy into the lore, there’s a huge amount of melodic charm, sonic invention and detail to keep listeners coming back for more' Elijah Minnelli - Clams As A Main Meal buff.ly/llkHIEo

This is great news. Looking forward to it already. Please consider a work-friendly Sunday finish time.

Whatever Rachel Reeves has decided, the conversation at work is solely around tax avoidance by the richest and the absence of a wealth tax. Looks like the next election will be Greens vs Reform.

Enjoyable trip out. Lovely pie in the ground, two Red Kites over and a Sparrowhawk being seen off by the local Starlings. Much better first half than last week. Solid on the right side at the back - Okeke and Farquarson worked well together. Nice bit of Uncle Albert showboating at the end.

A moment, please, to consider the absolute majesty of Daphne Oram's unbelievable score to this. A pitch shifted, time stretched, frequency agile glimpse of the future of music production; a liberty-taking all analogue remix of Sandy Nelson's Teen Beat realised in real time with the visuals.

Highbury Park, Moseley - Song Thrush in full song for an extended period around 7.45am 600+ Woodpigeon heading SW.

Got 2 tickets for anyone who wants them to see the wonderful Širom in Bishops Castle this Thursday (20th). Poor planning on my part means I can’t get there now

Happy 50th anniversary to a classic album

November 16th I know it's a Sunday. It's no bloody excuse! One week from now get off your bum and down to The Kitchen Garden Cafe in Birmingham. www.kitchengardencafe.co.uk/event/gwenif...

Clifton Pits update - drake Ring-necked Duck still present, centre of main pit. #worcsbirds The white goose is a domestic Greylag, obviously.

Clifton Pits - Barnacle Goose and as-yet-unidentified white goose with the enormous Greylag flock. Can't see anything more interesting sadly. Weedy fields to the south are full of finches, including several nice Brambling wheezes. 7 Fieldfare #worcsbirds

Egyptian Vulture on the clifftop (it's there if you look, honest) - Barranc d'Algendar, Menorca this morning. 18 in flight together at 10.20am was a spectacular sight, alongside 6+ Booted Eagle and several Red Kites.

Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House. Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity. They are not the same.

Lidl car park, Ciutadella, Menorca 12.15 pm - Kestrel 2, Red Kite 5, Booted Eagle 8, juv Egyptian Vulture, Crag Martin. Would visit again.

Bartley Reservoir - 3 Common Scoter, found by @stuhares.bsky.social NFY for me.

Highbury Park, Moseley - single Redwing this morning, my first of the autumn.

Reduction in birds visiting our garden. Not sure why.

Ticket sales for Morrissey in Milwaukee seem to be going well

Minor operation today. All fine but a general anaesthetic. How anyone can tut at NHS staff, how anyone can link it negatively with migration things, how anyone can fail to see that it’s the best thing about this place and that they are the best of us. These people are morons. Literally morons.