WELCOME TO THE CFZ BLOG NETWORK: COME AND JOIN THE FUN

Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

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Thursday, February 27, 2020

FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES

What has Corinna's column of Fortean bird news got to do with cryptozoology? 

Well, everything, actually! 

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.




  • Endangered gull fledglings stoned to death at Cant...
  • Flying high, not getting high: the poppy-eating co...


  • The 10 british songbirds at risk of extinction, fr...
  • WEST INDIAN WHIST;ING DUCK


    Chaos, Catastrophe, Disaster and an ordinary little duck

    You live in a world chock-a-block with news. Every day there seems to be a new biggest thing - storms more severe than we've seen in history, politics more polarised than ever before and economies at breaking point.
    But floating silently behind all the chaos and clutter is the West Indian whistling duck (yes, it whistles). Far away from explosions, attacks or disasters this humble duck's habitat is being taken over by coastal development and invasive species. As a result, it’s going extinct – quietly.
    The media haven't noticed, so most of the world won’t care.
    But, we’re going to save this duck.
    Leaving behind the hyperbole of the front page, we’re protecting 3,000 hectares of coastline - preserving it for some of the last surviving birds. This work isn’t glamorous, cosmic or headline-making but - with your support - it’s enough to save this humble little duck.
     

    LAKE AND SEA MONSTER NEWS

    The hunt for Lake and Sea Monsters is probably the most iconic branch of Cryptozoology. Following our successful Mystery Cat and BHM Study Groups, we feel that these sightings should also be archived and published in a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. Curated by Sally Watts and Richard Muirhead





  • DOCUMENTARY - Experts explore a new theory surroun...
  • BOOKS - Scottish Ballads on Loch Ness
  • Anatomically Correct Loch Ness Monster
  • IMAGE - A recent sighting of "Nessie"
  • BOOK - Loch Ness Monster - Ray Mcclellan
  • Every Dragon That Could Exist In Godzilla's Monste...


  • DOCUMENTARY - The Mystery Of Loch Ness #4
  • THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN MIGHT WELL

    The Gonzo Daily: Thursday
    The car is back with a full 12 Month's MOT. I can therefore go to the hospital this afternoon to have my foot dealt with. Yesterday we had a particularly fraught time because it appeared that my video editing programme was playing up. I tried to fix it by restarting my computer, but then it went through a cycle of updates and things that basically took up all the time that Charlotte and I had been going to finish editing the next episode of OTT. I sorted it out this morning, but it still means that we are running stupid ;late As I type this I am listening to the 1977 Live album 'Gong est Mort' for the first time in 40 years plus and wondering why I left it so long.
    The eagle-eyed amongst you will probably have noticed that the Gonzo Multimedia websites have changed and are in a process of flux, so there are no individual sales links at the moment. But check out www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk for a thing of wonder. The Gonzo Books site www.gonzopublishers.com is now pretty well done, although there are still nine authoors who need personal pages. You can find it ay www.gonzopublishers.com and then tell me what a clever fellow I am. It even has a haiku to explain why some links are not finished:
    "These links do not work,
    now but they will do so soon,
    we apologise"
    Life is still not easy, Corinna is still not well, my right foot is still painful, even though the infections appear to have gone, and with all this and everything else that I am having to deal with at the moment, not ignoring the emotional fallout from mother’s funeral only a few weeks ago, everything is delayed. We will get there in the end, but remember us in your thoughts and prayers, please. On which point, thank you so much to all of you who wrote to us giving kind words about Corinna and/or condolences for Mother. I will be writing back to you individually, but there were a lot of messages, and my time is embarrasingly limited at the moment. So, if you are one of the kind people who did so, please don't take offence that you have not had a reply.
    YER EDITOR SEZ: THE DIGITAL PRAYER FLAG
    You guys have been doing massive amounts of praying for Corinna. I believe that the outpouring of good vibes transmitted electronically, being a little like a Tibetan prayer flag. Find out more:
    https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/p/a-prayer-flag-lung-…
    Blessed be.
    CHECK OUT THE GONZO STORES:
    AND OTHER STUFF FEATURING VARIOUS GONZO CONTRIBUTORS:
    Our webTV show:
    https://www.facebook.com/OnTheTrack/posts/632561497117057
    And if you fancy supporting it on Patreon:
    https://www.patreon.com/CFZ
    And by the way chaps and chappesses, a trip to the Jon Downes megastore may seem to be in order:
    https://gonzotesting.blogspot.com/…/a-notion-of-shopkeepers…
    Meanwhile I continue to pretend that I am a popstar, because now I have sold eleven whole copies of my new album Coldharbour. If I continue at this rate I will get a silver disc sometime at the beginning of the next millenium. Coldharbour, by the way, can be found here: https://jondownes1.bandcamp.com/releases
    I think it is really rather good, but then again I would say that wouldn't I?
    AND THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE GONZO MAGAZINE:
    Gonzo Weekly #377/8
    THE "WELCOME TO THE FUTURE" ISSUE
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-377-8.html
    In this phantasmorogorically phuturistic issue we look at the new book by John Higgs in which he provides a gleam of hope that perhaps the future isn't going to be quite as horrible as everyone is expecting. Alan muses on some new music to which he was introduced over the recent festive season, and also goes to see 'Infinity Forms of Yellow Remember'. Doug waxes lyrical on Tears for Fears, we have Focus live a few years ago, the latest from The Gardening Club, Graham described the funeral of Martin Griffin, ex-Hawkwind, and Jon talks about self aware telephone systems.
    And there are radio shows from Mack Maloney and Friday Night Progressive AND Canterbury sans Fronieres AND Merrell Fankhauser, but no sign of Strange Fruit this week, there is a column from Kev Rowland, and one from Mr Biffo, and one from C J Stone, although Neil Nixon and Roy Weard, are on hiatus. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and antichinuses who have lost their shoes (OK, nothing to do with tiny marsupials who are searching for their footwear, but I got carried away with things that rhymed with OOOOS) than you can shake a stick at. And the best part is IT's ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!
    This issue features:
    Robert Heinlein, Bruce Stirling, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Smith, The Cure, Janet Jackson, Eminem, Phil Collins, Gene Gallagher, Sonny Starkey, Rod Stewart, Focus, Richard Freeman, Friday Night Progressive, Canterbury sans Frontieres, The Merrell Fankhauser Show, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Dan Andrei Aldea, Ibert Norman Benedict "Norm" Amadio, Sean Reinert, Joseph "Joe" Payne, Antonia Apodaca, William Reed Mullin, Lucien Barbarin, Robert Castle Schoen, Nils Olaus Lennart Karl Magnell (aka Ola Magnell), Andrew Brough, Buddy Cage, Ljiljana Petrovic, Kofi Boakye Yiadom, Ivan Král, Andrew James Dalrymple Gill, Diego Farias, Harold Beane, Abdel Aziz El Mubarakm, Lyle David Mays, Joseph Shabalala, Rick Wakeman, The Fall, Venom, Paice, Ashton & Lord, Michael Bruce, Doug Harr, Tears for Fears, PAART, Alan Dearling, Kim Thompsett, Meniscus Hump Records, Harvey Summers, James Wright, Ministry of Echology, Caedmon, Kev Rowland, Teloch Vovin, Grave Gnosis, Intergrity, Krieg, Oyton Ersan, Paradise Lost, Refuge, Tony Klinger, Digitiser, Mr Biffo, C.J. Stone, Brexit, Infinity Forms Of Yellow Remember, Hawkwind, Martin Griffin, Jonathan Downes, The Wild Colonial Boy, Martin Springett, John Higgs, The Future Starts Here: Adventures in the Twenty-First Century
    nd the last few issues are:
    Issue 377-8 (The Future)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-377-8.html
    Issue 375-6 (Big Sean)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-375-6.html
    Issue 373-4 (End of the World)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-373-4.html
    Issue 371-2 (New Year)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-371-2.html
    Issue 369-70 (Christmas)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-369-70.html
    Issue 367-8 (Register to Vote)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-367-8.html
    Issue 365-6 (Rick Wakeman)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-365-6.html
    Issue 363-4 (Focus)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-363-4.html
    Issue 361-2 (Martin Springett)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-361-2.html
    Issue 359-60 (Robert Hunter)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-359-60.html
    Issue 357-8 (King Crimson)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-357-8.html
    Issue 355-6 (Elfin Bow)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-355-6.html
    Issue 353-4 (Melanie S Jane)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-353-4.html
    Issue 351-2 (Royal Affair)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CE…/gonzo-351-2-fvxuatzgf.html
    Issue 349-50 (Experimental Sonic Machines)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-349-50.htm
    Issue 347-8 (Gary Duncan)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-347-8.html
    Issue 345-6 (RDF)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-345-6.html
    Issue 343-4 (Auburn)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-343-4.html
    Issue 341-42 (America)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-341-2.html
    Issue 339-40 (Kev Rowland)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-339-40.html
    Issue 337-38 (Zee)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-337-8.html
    Issue 335-36 (Raz)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-335-6.html
    Issue 333-34 (Nepal)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-333-4.html
    Issue 331-32 (Scott Walker)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-331-2.html
    All issues from #70 can be downloaded at www.gonzoweekly.com if you prefer. If you have problems downloading, just email me and I will add you to the Gonzo Weekly dropbox. The first 69 issues are archived there as well. Information is power chaps, we have to share it!
    You can download the magazine in pdf form HERE:
    http://www.gonzoweekly.com/pdf/
    SPECIAL NOTICE: If you, too, want to unleash the power of your inner rock journalist, and want to join a rapidly growing band of likewise minded weirdos please email me at jon@eclipse.co.uk The more the merrier really.
    * The Gonzo Daily is a two way process. If you have any news or want to write for us, please contact me at jon@eclipse.co.uk. If you are an artist and want to showcase your work, or even just say hello please write to me at gonzo@cfz.org.uk. Please copy, paste and spread the word about this magazine as widely as possible. We need people to read us in order to grow, and as soon as it is viable we shall be invading more traditional magaziney areas. Join in the fun, spread the word, and maybe if we all chant loud enough we CAN stop it raining. See you tomorrow...
    * The Gonzo Daily is - as the name implies - a daily online magazine (mostly) about artists connected to the Gonzo Multimedia group of companies. But it also has other stuff as and when the editor feels like it. The same team also do a weekly newsletter called - imaginatively - The Gonzo Weekly. Find out about it at this link: www.gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk
    * We should probably mention here, that some of our posts are links to things we have found on the internet that we think are of interest. We are not responsible for spelling or factual errors in other people's websites. Honest guv!
    * Jon Downes, the Editor of all these ventures (and several others) is an old hippy of 60 who - together with a Jack Russell called Archie, an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa, three other cats, one totally coincidentally named after one of the Manson Family, purely because she squeaks, puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon which he shares with various fish. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention Archie and the Cats?

    BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF

    Regular readers will know that in recent years we have migrated the two specialist Study Groups – Mystery Cats (curated by Carl Marshall and Olivia McCarthy) and Lake and Sea Monsters (curated by Sally Watts and Richard Muirhead) – to their own standalone blogs, although when there are postings, notifications of them can be found here on the main blog.


    BIG CAT ROUND UP

    The hunt for British Big Cats attracts far more newspaper-column inches than any other cryptozoological subject. 

    There are so many of them now that we feel that they should be archived by us in some way, so we are publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. 

    The worldwide mystery cat phenomenon (or group of phenomena, if we are to be more accurate) is not JUST about cryptozoology. At its most basic level it is about the relationship between our species and various species of larger cat. That is why sometimes you will read stories here that appear to have nothing to do with cryptozoology but have everything to do with human/big cat interaction. As committed Forteans, we believe that until we understand the nature of these interactions, we have no hope of understanding the truth that we are seeking.



    NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Thursday

    ON THIS DAY IN -  1700 - The Pacific Island of New Britain was discovered.
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • .
  • The Romer’s tree frog: green group and scientists ...
  • First Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles Wash Up on Cape Cod...
  • How Do We Prevent Pets from Becoming Exotic Invade...
  • People, climate, and water supply all played a rol...



  • AND TO WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK... (Music that may have some relevance to items also on this page, or may just reflect my mood on the day)