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...

Search This Blog

WATCH OUR WEEKLY WEBtv SHOW

SUPPORT OTT ON PATREON

SUPPORT OTT ON PATREON
Click on this logo to find out more about helping CFZtv and getting some smashing rewards...

SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER



Unlike some of our competitors we are not going to try and blackmail you into donating by saying that we won't continue if you don't. That would just be vulgar, but our lives, and those of the animals which we look after, would be a damn sight easier if we receive more donations to our fighting fund. Donate via Paypal today...




Saturday, April 14, 2012

LARS THOMAS: On A Friday Night

Dear friends,

It has now been than two months since my wife Jeanett disappeared without a trace. Despite the best efforts of the police in Denmark, and several public appeals on Danish television, we are still at a complete loss as to what has happened to her. But we - myself and our two sons - have to live on as best we can, but we also have to realize that the chance of ever seeing her again is slim. The uncertainty is the worst, but by now we need to say goodbye somehow, to draw a line, and to move on. So I hope all of you in the world of cryptozoology who have shown us so much love and support in the last 10 weeks will take a few moments to read my goodbye, and spare a kind thought for Jeanett every now and then.

I thank you, and hope to see a lot of you at the Weird Weekend in August.

Lars

On a Friday night
On a Friday night, when the sun went down
You grabbed your coat and went to town
“I’ll buy a book and eat a bit”
“I may be a while, an hour or two”
Ok, said I
Goodbye
Goodbye
But that was more than two months ago
On a Friday night, when the Sun went down

But darkness came and went
And came and went again

On Monday morning I think I knew
The world had lost its light
And the Sun was only half as bright

I’ve cried for you
I’ve cried for me
I’ve cried for the boys
But most of all I have cried for the world that lost you
On a Friday night, when the Sun went down

Where did you go?
I wish I knew
Were you sad?
Were you determined?
Were you frightened?
Or just surprised?
On a Friday night, when the Sun went down

I’ve spent my life seeking answers, solving riddles, and illuminating the mysteries of life
But I still don’t know what happened
On a Friday night, when the Sun went down

Did you really have to be the answer that will always escape me?

“Alas”, cries the raven
“Nevermore!”

I guess we will have to do without
The answer – and you.

Farewell, my sweet!
Be at peace.

CFZ PEOPLE: Paul Vella

Many Thanks to Paul for his kind donation. I have spent it already - on a stack of plastic storage boxes for our library..

Thanks Mate

WATCHER OF THE SKIES: hen harrier, golden pheasant, tawny owl, marsh harrier


As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... about out-of-place birds, rare vagrants, and basically all things feathery and Fortean.

Because we live in strange times, there are more and more bird stories that come her way, so she has now moved onto the main CFZ bloggo with a new column with the same name as her aforementioned ones...



Fowlmere welcomes rare bird


The hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) is listed by the RSPB as a high conservation priority, especially in view of the fact that gamekeepers have been known to target this bird, which has a liking for grouse.  Thus, its dietary preferences are threatening its survival in some parts of the UK.  It is believed that there are only four breeding pairs in England.  One roosted at the RSPB nature reserve at Fowlmere in Cambridgeshire between mid-December last year and early April, but is believed to now have flown north.  Reserve warden Doug Radford said: “We don’t see them every year. This is an exceptional event. We have never had one roosting for this length of time on the reserve.”
Pic:  Wikipedia

Golden pheasant
There are only 100 breeding pairs of the rare golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) breeding in the country, and the single bird spotted on a shed roof in Walton sparked fears that it may be an escapee from a private collection.  The resident who spotted the bird reported the sighting to the county and borough councils. “It was there for 4-5 minutes before flying away in a southerly direction. I’ve contacted rarebirdlalert.co.uk and the official Staffordshire bird recorder.

“They feel the bird may have escaped from a private collector since wild pairs are only found in Norfolk, north Wales and Dorset. I’ve been informed that the borough council runs Stonefield Park, which has birds of this sort. Have they got a bird missing?”

However, it turned out that Stonefield Park had suffered no escapes.  The mystery remains.
Pic: Wikipedia

Illegal trapping of tawny owl – gamekeeper found guilty

Following a Scottish SPCA investigation, a Kirriemuir gamekeeper has been found guilty of illegally trapping a tawny owl (Strix aluco) in a crow cage, contrary to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The bird suffered an injury to its beak and – as the trap contained no food or water – was extremely thin.

Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said, "Cage traps are widely misused, either through poor management or ignorance. The trap which Christie was responsible for failed to meet the legal requirements of the Scottish Government's General Licence, which states that traps must bear identifications tags and be immobilised when not in use.

"Christie pled ignorance to such conditions, which is shocking given he was an experienced gamekeeper. We welcome the fact that Christie now has a criminal conviction for this offence. Thankfully the tawny owl received immediate vet treatment before being rehabilitated at our Wildlife Rescue Centre and successfully released back into the wild."

The traps are commonly used to control carrion crows in order to protect livestock and fruit and vegetable crops.  However, like snaring, these traps are indiscriminate and non-target species are often caught and injured.  Pic:  RSPB


Recovered marsh harrier set free
Late last year a farmer found an injured marsh harrier

(Circus aeruginosus)

 that had been left for dead after being shot – x-rays showed gunshot in each of its wings and one of its legs.  A healing fracture of its left humerus bone showed that it had been shot around three weeks before being found, so had been scavenging what it could.  Despite this bird being left to starve, it recovered and has now been released back into the wild, despite fears that it would never be able to fly again.  Retired dale vet, Neville Turner, nursed the bird and once it had built up its strength it was handed to Pat Kingsnorth, who runs Ark on the Edge animal sanctuary near the village of Woodland. 
 
Ms Kingsnorth said: “We kept her in our aviary, where we have barn owls and kestrels.
“When she came to us just before Christmas, she was in need of building up her strength, especially in her wings – but by the time we let her go she was ready for it.”

 “She was flying the full length of the aviary and while it’s sad in a way, it’s wonderful to see her go,” said Ms Kingsnorth.

The marsh harrier is the largest of the harrier and also one of the most rare. Ms Kingsnorth said she is appalled that someone had shot one.

She said: “I think it’s disgusting. A lot of people don’t want birds of prey and they just want rid of them, whether that’s poisoning them or shooting them. 

“I think it’s a very sad state of affairs. We interfere with nature far too much.”
Pic: www.wildlifeextra.com


DALE DRINNON: Loch Ness Monster/Benny's Blog

New on the Frontiers of Zoology:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-is-nessie-really.html

And Benny's Blog has an article on the "Cursed" ship, the Joyita:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/04/joyita.html

CFZ CANADA: Sasquatch from the Bottom Up Part 4: Junk in the Trunk

One of the thingsthat make humans and Bigfoot unique, is the ability to maintain an uprightposition. Bipedalism is the ability tobe mobile on the back two appendages; in our case, legs. What I am researchingthis week is what makes it possible for us to be bipedal and how we got thatway. This is an important piece ofbackground information when attempting to understand what Sasquatch could be,especially if he is to be considered humanoid.

Read on...

HAUNTED SKIES: Times (The) 22.4.66



http://hauntedskies.blogspot.com/2012/04/times-22466.html

TODAY ON THE GONZO BLOG


Gonzo blog for Sunday - We have more exclusives than you can shake a stick at:

Firstly, four exclusive piccies from the set of Michael Des Barres' new video for 'Pain Killer':http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/exclusive-michael-des-barres-on-set-of.html

Secondly, Rob Ayling vs Jefferson Starship (one pill makes him smaller?) including more exclusive pictures, and Rob wearing a peculiar pair of giant hands:http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/jefferson-starship-and-rob-ayling-go-to.html

Thirdly, Merrell Fankhauser and the mystery of 'Wipe Out' (even I did that song once, you never know, maybe I will inflict my version on you all):http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/link-merrell-fankhauser-and-secret-of.html

And last, but by no means least,Graham Inglis waxes lyrical on the subject of Morgen Agren Henry Kaiser and Trey Gunn's - Invisible Rays CD:http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/invisible-rays.html
Check it out; you know it makes sense...

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/

On this day in 1452 Artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci was born.

And now the news:

Cornwall - Scilly wildlife watching cruises
Scientists Take to Skies to Count Threatened Seals...
First camera-trap photos of the maned wolf (Chryso...
New project aims to saves world’s rarest turtle sp...
Dolphins 'Deserve Same Rights As Humans'
Hidden cameras record ‘The Secret Lives of Penguin...
Bigfoot-like creature stalks, baffles some in Redd...
In Mystery of Hawk Deaths, Rat Poison Emerges
Human Diarrhea Parasite Found Lurking in Piglets
6 Brainy Baboons Pick Words from Gibberish
“Robotic cat” illness mystifies vets
Sperm Whales Form Clans to Fight Off Orcas

Leonardo clearly had a lot of time on his hands, time enough to design this musical instrument that accurately reconstructs the sound of an elderly dog farting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiCaMAj2DD8

Hmmmmmmmmmm

CORINNA DOWNES: Death Throes of the Terror Squid

"However, I think it looks more like an octopus but .. hey let's not quibble."
http://cryptochick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/pirates-in-adventure-with.html

BIG CAT STUDY GROUP: Cumbria hair and scat samples

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 in some way by us, so we should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in.

It takes a long time to do and is a fairly tedious task so I am not promising that they will be done each day, but I will do them as regularly as I can. JD

This letter arrived recently together with samples of scat and hair:

Hi,

Here are the ‘hairs’ and ‘scat’ as promised. I’m not so sure about the ‘scat’ but the black hairs I’m certainly interested in finding out what animal they are from.

I found the hairs in a field at ‘Rockcliffe’ near Carlisle where the ‘black panther’ had been seen most. The scat was nearby. Below the field is a river which leads into an estuary where wild birds are abundant. So I guess the ‘big cat’ will be using this area for food? Rockcliffe and Carlisle area has had numerous sightings of a ‘large black cat’ and I’ve just recently bought a trail camera which I’m going to put on a tree overlooking the field the cat frequents. Would really appreciate if you could let me know what the outcome is of the hair and scat. I shall keep you also informed of any ‘cat’ activity in Cumbria.

Thank you so much!

Sharon

Samples will be going to Lars any day now, and we shall keep you posted.