TomMckinney

RSPB Spring Concert in Suffolk

Thumbnail image for RSPB Spring Concert in Suffolk by TomMckinney 23 April 2012

Well this isn’t so much a blogpost, but more a shameless act of bare-arsed, narcissistic self promotion. Anyway, it’s my blogpost, so I can write what I like. On Saturday 28th April the City of London Sinfonia are performing their annual spring concert for the RSPB near Aldeburgh at Snape Maltings in Suffolk. The concert [...]

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* insert witty title with a pun in or something *

Thumbnail image for * insert witty title with a pun in or something * by TomMckinney 2 April 2012

The other day I had an email asking why I haven’t written a post for some time. I was asked whether I’d stopped birding. Well no, I haven’t stopped birding. It is actually possible to go out birding without having to write a blogpost, Tweet or Facebook status update about it. So yes, I am [...]

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Inspired by Birds

Thumbnail image for Inspired by Birds by TomMckinney 27 February 2012

Here’s a programme I made with producer Jo Meek for BBC Radio 3. It’s available on iPlayer for another 5 days: Inspired by Birds Hope you enjoy it.

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 10

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 10 by TomMckinney 30 January 2012

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 10 “Liz? What’s going on?” The effects of the tranquiliser dart were wearing off, and Paddy Rogue opened his eyes to see the bloodbath in the parlour of Bramblebay Castle. “Are you okay, Rogue?” Liz asked. “What’s going on?” he slurred. “You were shot with a [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 9

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 9 by TomMckinney 27 January 2012

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 9 Thick red fluid ran along the cracks in the ancient oak floorboards forming deep puddles, deep enough to see your reflection before the puddles dried. Shards of bone, sinew, flesh and bullet holes peppered the walls, spitting specks of deep crimson over centuries of priceless [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 8

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 8 by TomMckinney 21 January 2012

  The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 8 Huggins the butler returned to the parlour with a dust pan and brush to clean up the shattered glass from Sir Wilkins Bramblebay’s monocle. Bramblebay was sat on an antique Louis XV bergeres chair, worth tens of thousands of pounds, and straightening out his [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 7

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 7 by TomMckinney 18 January 2012

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 7 Tiny Lizzie McAubrey was running back from the shops. It was a Saturday morning and her mother had allowed her to spend her meagre three pence of pocket money in Skanky Stan’s sweet shop at the end of the road. By the time she got [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – the story so far

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – the story so far by TomMckinney 16 January 2012

Confused as to what’s happened in the previous six chapters? Baffled by the most convoluted nonsensical plot ever dreamed up? Just landed here by mistake and got absolutely no idea what this is all about? Well here’s a synopsis of the story so far. Don’t worry, this whole ridiculous thing should hopefully be wrapped up [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 6

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 6 by TomMckinney 9 January 2012

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 6 Something really wasn’t right at all. Detective Inspector Paddy Rogue was more than accustomed to waking up feeling nauseous and with a thumping headache, but this was altogether more serious. The pulse in his temples was banging harder than David Lombardo from Slayer beating the [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 5

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 5 by TomMckinney 5 January 2012

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 5 Maurice Wagon, Kilmister-on-Belford – DECEASED Jock MacDogkennel, Asstermowth – DECEASED Monty Quim, North Yorkshire – DECEASED Lillian Adverse-Camber, Scurby – DECEASED Richard Tube, Lemmyster – DECEASED Roland Keyboard, Maidenrule-on-Thames – DECEASED Cassy O’watch, Argos – DECEASED Detectives Paddy Rogue and Timmy Keen sat in the [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 4

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 4 by TomMckinney 30 December 2011

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 4 “Please state your names and the purpose of your visit,” the voice said through the intercom. Two closed-circuit surveillance cameras swiveled into position to look down at the two detectives standing at the gated entrance to Bramblebay Castle. “Detectives Paddy Rogue and Timmy Keen,” Rogue [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 3

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 3 by TomMckinney 27 December 2011

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 3 By midday it was already pitch black night on the outskirts of Reykjavik at the Skurglast Zoological Gardens, where Dr.Heijning Mork Karlsson was stirring a large bucket filled with mashed pilchards, lambs’ livers and boiled oats. For extra nutrition he added a dozen chopped apples [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 2

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 2 by TomMckinney 22 December 2011

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd Chapter 2 The profoundly gifted, extraordinarily talented rookie detective Liz McAubrey stood at the front door of 37 Portobello Terrace, a five minute walk from Asstermowth town centre on the notorious Deaddog Estate. She had managed to get a spare set of keys from a neighbour, but [...]

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The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 1

Thumbnail image for The Greatest Lie Ever Told – chapter 1 by TomMckinney 19 December 2011

The Greatest Lie Ever Told by Morton Cubberd   Chapter 1 “Sorry sir, I’m afraid you can’t drive up to the house,” the police officer said to the driver of a battered old Ford Capri. Detective Inspector Paddy Rogue, hungover and unshaven, grunted an unintelligible obscenity to the officer. He parked his Capri, stepped out [...]

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Scilly – the final day

Thumbnail image for Scilly – the final day by TomMckinney 22 October 2011

Two things about this trip to Scilly were inevitable – 1) it would have to end at some point; 2) despite me working my arse off trying to find a Pallas’s Warbler, someone else would beat me to it by finding one on the island of Bryher yesterday. Not that I’m complaining, I mean with [...]

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Scilly – day 29

Thumbnail image for Scilly – day 29 by TomMckinney 20 October 2011

“What’s your favourite bird?” Stupid question, and for me it’s impossible to answer. However, when pushed I might well say Pallas’s Warbler. I absolutely love them. I’ve seen quite a few but never found one of my own, so this week I’ve been secretly determined to find one by working Carreg Dhu gardens and Holy [...]

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Scilly – day 17

Thumbnail image for Scilly – day 17 by TomMckinney 18 October 2011

Having now seen all the good birds, today was supposed to be a proper holiday. Sarah bought a bucket and spade, I bought a Super-Pro Stunt Kite. Excellent! Walking to the beach I bumped into a few birders who were excited by the prospect of westerlies bringing in something good from wherever it is that [...]

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Scilly – day 4

Thumbnail image for Scilly – day 4 by TomMckinney 17 October 2011

Two boat loads of birders, including some of our party, were disappointed and frustrated on a trip to the island of St.Martin’s where they dipped on Blyth’s Reed Warbler (reported late yesterday) and narrowly missed the long staying American Golden Plover. Back on St.Mary’s we mega-serious-hardcore birders were thrilled by a trip to Hugh Town [...]

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Scilly – day 2

by TomMckinney 15 October 2011

Two days in and I haven’t seen the Waterthrush. It’s not for lack of effort. It’s complicated. It makes me angry. If I think about it too much I start throwing things around, chairs out the window, televisons through doors. I kicked out at the dog this morning, which is pretty worrying because we don’t [...]

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Isles of Scilly – not even day 1

Thumbnail image for Isles of Scilly – not even day 1 by TomMckinney 13 October 2011

Great start. Fog has stopped all flights to Scilly. Excellent. We’re due to fly tomorrow, but the forecast looks bad again for most of Friday. And so tomorrow morning we’re transferring to the Scillonian 3, the best boat ever. Sort of. Since I first went on it, just some time before my balls dropped, people [...]

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