Drawn A Blank

Been to Earlswood Lakes again this morning.  Just like last week we walked there and then got a taxi back.  It was raining when we set out about 8.30 this morning but by 9 it had stopped and the sun had come out.  There was a fairly strong wind which helped dry us out.

The reason we chose to do it again was because last week, although we didn't now it at the time, a Night Heron had been spotted.  A rare migrant bird that was still present up until last night. 

The lakes seemed quiet compared to last week. No boats on the water and less anglers.  There were more birders though.  We saw two groups of men in camouflage whilst out walking. I asked the second group if they had seen the Heron but they were not of the friendly type and all I got was a no. 

We hadn't been at there that long when we did spot a Heron flying over the smallest of the lakes.  It didn't look like a Grey Heron but I couldn't say that it was definitely the Night Heron.  If it was then it was our only sighting.  We did see a juvenile Cormorant and other birds including Arctic Tern, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Black Headed Gull, Nuthatch, Chaffinch and Blue Tit.

A quick drink at The Reservoir and then a taxi back home in readiness for the football.  The last game of the season and as I write all eyes are on the bottom of the League.  With West Ham already relegated there are two relegation spots left and 5 clubs trying not to be in that position.  Wolves, Wigan, Blackpool, Blackburn and Birmingham could possibly go down today. Obviously I'm hoping Birmingham can survive but it's a tall order as they are away at Tottenham who are currently in fifth spot and playing to keep Liverpool from taking it.

They walk around the lakes is in stark contrast to yesterday's trip to Birmingham.  It was very busy in town but we managed to find a bit of peace and quiet at Ikon. 

We wandered around the exhibitions.  First up was Tadasu Takamine's Too Far To See.  A collection of videos that we were warned contained sexual imagery.  I have to say I never really got it but the 2 that stood out were Inertia (1998) involves the uneasy combination of a young woman and a bullet train. She is shown close-up and feet first on top of a carriage while the rest of the world flashes past. A powerful electric hum dramatises her fruitless attempts to push her dress down over her legs against the force of the wind.  I'm not sure of the title of the other film but it involves a naked girl swimming.  The images projected through a fish tank onto the front of the glass. 

The next exhibition was by John Salt.  His paintings are basically of dumped American cars or run down trailer homes.  Despite it being very American I like his work.  1986's Trailer House being my favourite. It really drew me in.

Finally we saw Kristoffer Myskja's Machine That Uses A Thousand Years To Shut Down. It is a machine that runs for no reason except that, after one thousand years, it will turn itself off. Powered by light, a sequence of geared wheels rotate increasingly slowly, so that the movement of the last one is imperceptible.  It's an odd little thing but I was fascinated by it.

Afterwards we spent some time shopping and I popped to Swordfish and bought a couple of CDs (Sergeant Buzfuz, Barth & Flamingoes) before catching the train home.

A quick update with the football.  Half time and Blues are still 0-0 with Spurs. Elsewhere Wolves are losing at Blackburn and Wigan are drawing with Stoke meaning that both Wigan and Wolves are in the dropzone but as we are all on 40 points, along with Blackpool, it is only goal difference that seperates us. One goal changes everything. Fingers crossed no one scores in the second half!  We will know in just under an hours time.