CARL MARSHALL: Pine marten sighting?

Hi Jon,

I am 95% sure I saw a pine marten yesterday!! Something very dark, almost black and far too large to be a melanistic grey squirrel (and too agile to be a cat) shot up a pine tree after a large grey squirrel. It appeared the squirrel escaped because after they climbed up out of sight the commotion soon stopped and I did see a grey squirrel come back down and jump from a lower position to another tree. I did not hear any squeals. I waited for a while even though it had started raining, but I did not see the apparent marten again. The sighing took place in local woods outside Alcester.

I shall be spending the whole day up there tomorrow with camera in hand.

I'll report this to the Vincent Wildlife Trust later today.

Sincerely 

Carl.

FORTEAN LINK: Conan-Doyle the whaler

The surgeon aboard the whaling vessel Hope was often covered in the blood of seals and other animals, his clothes frozen enough that he'd have to stand next to the ship's stove to thaw before undressing. A first-time sailor, he wasn't supposed to take part in the clubbing of seals, but he did, and repeatedly fell into the frigid waters, nearly freezing to death.

A journal by the young man, written at age 20 in 1880, was published yesterday.  The  author?  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Read on...

POLITICS: An important news item

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/clegg-put-in-charge-of-the-paranormal-2012092542375

NICK Clegg has denied being sidelined by the government after becoming Minister for Paranormal Investigations.

Clegg's new role will involve travelling around the UK investigating ghosts, UFOs and `cryptoozoological animals' including owl men and talking polecats.

Clegg said: "I will continue to play a full and active role in Westminster politics, albeit from a field in Cornwall while searching for a stray panther.

"My coalition colleagues have been 110% behind me, providing me with a complete paranormal detection kit including an old Ford Transit, a video camera and an electrician's voltmeter.

"They even gave me a proton pack for capturing ghosts, which is categorically not just a vacuum cleaner with a laser pointer sellotaped to the nozzle. Luckily I will be working alone, so there is no danger of crossing the beams.

"Cynics would argue that the paranormal is completely made up. But that's exactly what they said to Fox Mulder.

"I showed Vince Cable a picture of some `orbs' and he was most impressed."

Political analyst Nikki Hollis said: "Initially I thought this was a ploy to reduce Nick Clegg's influence on British politics. Then I remembered he has no influence on British politics."

Clegg announced his new role at the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, where delegates responded by staring at his very attractive wife.

KITHRA ON THE MYSTERY CAT BLOG

New CFZ Mystery Cat Blog

I know that I really don’t write a blog post nearly as often as I should do, but that’s because I rarely have anything of significance to say! And I see that it’s almost 3 weeks since I last wrote. Of course, during that time I’ve been busy with other things – including trying to understand CSS and Style Sheets. To date I haven’t been too successful with that, but I keep trying. I’ve also been trying to stop smoking, again without much success, although I have managed to cut down a lot, LOL.

But, the main reason for writing now is to let you know, if you don’t already, that the CFZ Blog Network has set up a new blog. This one is devoted to the Mystery Cats Study Group, and can be accessed here.

It really is worth taking a look as it covers a plethora of stories from right around the world. These include both real animals and sightings of possible ABCs. If you haven’t already done so then I suggest you check it out.

http://kithraskrystalkave.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/new-cfz-mystery-cat-blog.html

MATT SALUSBURY: A history of dog-headed men

Talk by Matt Salusbury on 'A history of dog-headed men' at Verulamium Museum, St Albans, on Friday 26 October.
 
http://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/What-s-on/Events-Calendar/Dog-headed-men
 
and for background see
 
http://mattsalusbury.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/short-history-of-dog-headed-men.html
 
Spread the word!

MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: THE FORTEANOSITY OF THE YEAR 1907-1908 PART TWO

I am here continuing my look at a snap shot of 1907-8 along with a few items about Hong Kong Forteana that caught my eye.

A letter to the times on January 14^th 1908 from H.D. Rawnsley. Luminous birds occurred in 1898, from March to October and the Autumn of 1899 at Greystokes and Skelton. They moved quickly and leapt over hedges. Described by some as “ a dazzling light as large as a table lamp”. Skelton light appeared to move in  undulating curves and soared over a fir plantation. End of September 1900 keeper at Hornby Hall was approaching his home after dark when a nightjar emitted a flash from beneath its wings.

January 22^nd 1908  

Letter from Digby Pigott – model of owl painted with luminous paint was not as luminous as real one people had seen. Suggests the common barn owl is more often subject to luminosity than other birds.

Same day – L Veley suggests luminosity caused by phosphorescent plant matter in birds feathers. Another letter on 22-1-1908 says owl seen in darkened cage with phosphorescent plumage in Maidenhead. (1)

Two interesting reports from Hong Kong

The China Mail   May 4^th 1948

STRANGE OBJECT OBSERVED

A ball of bluish light about half the size of the moon in diameter  streaked across  a cloudless sky over Hong Kong late on  late on Sunday* night according to an observer`s report.

The object, seen from the Praya, was travelling at high speed in a westerly direction. It disappeared behind the wesyern end of the Peak in  a few seconds. The ball did not have the characteristic tail of a meteor. (2)

• May 2^nd.

The Singapore Free Press June 2^nd 1955

Snakes alive! `HORRID-LOOKING` MONSTER SEEN OFF HONG KONG

An anonymous Briton has reported seeing a 7-foot “monster” in the sea near Hong Kong. It was a vicious, beastly horrid-looking thing – enough to put anyone off swimming for the rest of the season “ he told the newspaper China Mail.He said it had grey and black stripes.

Hong Kong experts think the local “Loch Ness monster” may be a hydrophis cyancinctus, a black and yellow striped sea snake with a fatal bite when provoked. Residents of that colony are now uncertain whether to keep a look-out for the “snake” or a tiger which is reported to have swum to Kowloon Peninsula from the Chinese mainland. (3)

1. R.Muirhead. Personal notes
2. The China Mail May 4^th 1948
3. The Singapore Free Press June 2^nd 1955

WATCHER OF THE SKIES: Today's Fortean bird news

In an article for the first edition of Cryptozoology Bernard Heuvelmans wrote that cryptozoology is the study of 'unexpected animals' and following on from that perfectly reasonable assertion, it seems to us that - whereas the study of out of place birds may not have the glamour of the hunt for bigfoot, or lake monsters - it is still a perfectly valid area for the Fortean Zoologist to be interested in. So, after about six months of regular postings on the main bloggo, Corinna has taken the plunge and started a 'Watcher of the Skies' blog of her own as part of the CFZ Bloggo Network.

Flamingo flock gunned down during migration

Exotic birds could spread to Britain thanks to glo...

On the Wings of a Bird, Effort to Save a Bay

Jays hit by acorn crop shortage

Donald Trump in fresh Aberdeen wind farm attack

Vast copper mine in Lower Zambezi put on hold