Rare sighting of a column chart taking a dip at Hove Beach.

#dataviz

Orange tip butterfly on honesty flowers

Greater bee fly feeding on garlic mustard flowers

For bonus insect interest from today’s walk, orange tip on honesty and greater bee fly on garlic mustard #WildFlowerHour #CabbageFamily

An oilseed rape flower head against some green railings

I’m counting this oilseed rape for #WildFlowerHour #CabbageFamily as it was growing wild on the edge of the local Tesco car park

Close up of a cluster of cuckooflower

A large clump of cuckoflower in a grassy verge

A close up of a cluster of cuckooflower

Wild radish flowers

Cuckoo flower and wild radish - two of the loveliest of the #CabbageFamily at this time of year #WildFlowerHour

A lamb lying in long grass

A watchful ewe with two lambs

A blissed-out lamb lying in long grass

A lamb standing in profile

First lambs from today’s walk

Speckled wood butterfly

Speckled wood from today’s walk - lovely to see so many butterflies about

Continuing the theme, male orange tip on honesty, female orange tip on garlic mustard

Speckled wood butterfly resting by a bluebell

Peacock butterfly on a wild garlic flower

The theme of today’s walk seems to be butterflies on quintessential spring wildflowers - speckled wood on a bluebell and peacock on wild garlic #wildflowerhour

Wire - Pink Flag album cover

This would likely be one of my desert island discs, and pretty much a no-brainer for #5DebutAlbums7579

The Raincoats - S/T album cover

This is such a joyous record, and includes one of the greatest cover versions ever - definitely a contender for #5DebutAlbums7579

Where to begin with #5DebutAlbums7579? My very initial long list must include:

AC/DC
Buzzcocks
Crass
Devo
Fall
Gang of Four
Ramones
Raincoats
Ruts
Slits
Stranglers
Swell Maps
Undertones
Wire
X-Ray Spex

Marsh marigolds

A clump of marsh marigolds running down a small woodland brook

A glorious patch of marsh marigolds, another favourite and all the more special for their brevity #WildFlowerHour #WoodlandPlants @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Close up of a bluebell flower stem

A bank of bluebells cross-crossed by tree shadows

A patch of bluebells, interspersed with wood anemones and lesser celandine

The bluebells are especially early this year #WildFlowerHour #WoodlandPlants @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A close up of wood anemones in flower

A large patch of wood anemones in flower

Wood anemones, one of my very favourite #WoodlandPlants, at their peak in Hampshire woods right now #WildFlowerHour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Two photos of bluebells posted side by side. They look very similar but text boxes and arrows highlight their key characteristics. The photo on the left is of English bluebells wth curved, droopy stems with flowers mostly on one side. The tips of petals curl back, the flowers are narrow and deep blue-violet in colour. The photo on the right is of Spanish bluebells which are pale blue with wide bell-shaped flowers. Flower tips flare out and the upright stems display flowers on all sides.

Are you able to identify which bluebells are the native English variety and which are the more vigorous Spanish bluebell? This might help.

Also, use your nose. The English bluebells have a sweet scent, whereas their Spanish cousins have little to no scent.

Almost open quince flower with small fly

Quince flower bud

Quince flower

Quince flower

Quince flowers getting going in the garden

Evening Richard – my picks this evening:

1: The Beths – Future Me Hates Me (5 pts)
2: Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit
3: R. Ring – Ignite The Rest
4: Pip Blom – Boat
5: Turnstile – Nonstop Feeling

#5debutalbums1519

A rather small cowslip

Cowslips and early purple orchids in flower on the top of Butser Hill

Cowslips and early purple orchids in flower on the top of Butser Hill

First cowslip spotted near Butser Hill a couple of weeks ago, plus a reminder of what to expect in a few more weeks #WildFlowerHour #CowslipChallenge @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Angine de Poitrine - Full Performance (Live on KEXP) YouTube video by KEXP

I’m not quite sure why the YouTube algorithm put this in front of me, given my hitherto limited viewing of either microtonal psychedelic math rock or polka dot papier-mache costumery videos, but I’m mighty glad it did. Also a potential candidate for #5albums26

youtu.be/0Ssi-9wS1so?...

A perfect start to the bank holiday weekend…

Memoriam - For The Fallen

Aside from a tendency to deploy a car alarm guitar squeal at every opportunity, this is an enjoyably brutal blast of classic death metal grindcore #5DebutAlbums1519

Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit

Currently one of a group jostling for the remaining slots on my #5DebutAlbums1519 list - lyrically and musically a strong contender

Huge thanks to @tansleyjames.bsky.social for this and all the #musicchallenges - enjoy getting back to exploring new music yourself #ExitMusic

Radiohead - Karma Police YouTube video by Radiohead

#ExitMusic
#MusicChallenge
Vaguely ranked

Day 30

Karma Police
Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
 
Probably my favourite outro of all, this seems a fitting way to end this challenge.

For a minute there I lost myself…

youtu.be/1uYWYWPc9HU?...

Hornbeam catkins

Mountain ash flowers

Ash flowers

Field maple flowers

Hornbeam, mountain ash, ash and field maple #treeflowers, all spotted round about yesterday for #WildFlowerHour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The Beths - Future Me Hates Me

It will take something remarkable to keep this off my #5DebutAlbums1519 top spot - irresistible, infectiously hooky power pop with four-part vocal harmonies and earworms galore - I defy anyone to listen to a track like ‘Uptown Girl’ or ‘Little Death’ just the once

Pixies - No 13 Baby [ end looped ] YouTube video by Vitreous Spaghetti

#ExitMusic
#MusicChallenge
Vaguely ranked

Day 29

No. 13 Baby
Pixies – Doolittle (1989)

Someone clearly loves this outro as much as me- with Joey’s delicate guitar fills overlaying Charles’ strum, and a hypnotic rhythm - so much so that they’ve made a 28m loop of it…

youtu.be/sAIQw9N2oVI?...

Metric - Days Of Oblivion (Official Video) YouTube video by MetricVEVO

#ExitMusic
#MusicChallenge
Vaguely ranked

Day 28

Days Of Oblivion
Metric - Formantera II (2023)

The coda revisits the lyrics of the first verse, but to an entirely different melody, before an increasingly euphoric guitar line leads us out

youtu.be/2I1piA_AQZM?...

Turnstile - Nonstop Feeling

Turnstile’s debut already shows early signs of the willingness to experiment with their groove-filled hardcore sound which would much more fully manifest on later albums #5DebutAlbums1519

Alison Cotton - All Is Quiet At The Ancient Theatre

Experimental ambient drone folk conjured from viola, harmonium and largely wordless, sometimes Gregorian chant-like vocals - languorous, immersive and unsettling #5DebutAlbums1519