Ring-billed Gulls (and Kate Bush) in Hammersmith

Yesterday evening, only yards away from the Hammersmith Flyover, I was able to build up a tidy list of birds - some to be expected - such as Starling, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow and Feral Rock Dove - with others a little more surprising - Nuthatch and Swallow - while some were down right unexpected - particularly the Whooper Swans, Great Egrets and Ring-billed Gulls. No, I wasn't stringing, but present at the Hammersmith Apollo to pray before the altar of Kate Bush on her 'Before the Dawn' tour. I won't give a full blown review here, suffice to say that it was a superb evening that will never be forgotten.

She performed the second half of the album 'Aerial' in its entirety (with an additional track), known as 'A Sky of Honey'. This deals with the passing of an English summer's day, focusing on the song and flight of birds, the weather changes and the passage of light and time - all done in an affecting way as only Ms Bush can. Slow-mo footage of various bird species were used to great effect on a gigantic backdrop - but here comes the only criticism of the night... you need to source your gulls more carefully Kate. They were Ring-billed Gulls, not redolent of an English summers day at all (even if that avian thug the Herring Gull has become so in recent years)!

But seeing the rest of the show was such a thing of wonder, us birders in the audience will let you off...

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