I am not sure there are "no" reeds about. Shuttlewood's area of activity
wasn't confined to Cley Hill, but that part of Wilts generally. There are
surely some reeds somewhere around. This is what he said about his circles.
You can call this an anecdote if you wish, but this was commited to print in
the 1960s. I will call it a contemporary site report. It specifically names
reeds, and gives an indication of the physiology of the circles (plural):

"In late January and early February [1966] in wooded areas usually near
marshland ... reeds and grass have been curiously flattened in what
invariably seems to be clockwise fashion, blades swept smoothly inert in
shallow depressions ... most circles, depressed and clearly formed, measure
exactly thirty feet in diameter".
Ref: A. Shuttlewood, THE WARMINSTER MYSTERY, Tandem, 1967, p153.

Compare with a news cutting from Jan 1966, Australia:

"The first nest is about 30 foot in diameter. The reeds are flattened in a
clockwise direction and surrounded by healthy green reeds".

So either Shuttlewood subscribed to an Australian local paper and then lied
about the whole thing, or we have a considerable conicidence. Whatever -
flattened circles with directional lay, are by definition, the core of the
phenomenon we see today.



"rob irving" <robirving@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:bgg1ld$ckn$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>
> "Terry Wilson" <terryjwilson2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:QmpVa.642$CR5.315@newsfep3-gui.server.ntli.net...
> >
> > I disagree. There are many site reports over the decades which describe
> the
> > circles exactly as you would describe modern day ones. The validity of
the
> > reports can be questioned, but their resemblance to modern reports
can't.
> To
> > all intents and purposes they sound the same - swirled floors, sharp
> walls,
> > central tufts etc. Shame there isn't one really good photograph turned
up
> > yet.
>
> Agreed, something more than anecdotes would be good.
>
> > Incidentally Shuttlewood's circles were generally described as nine
metre
> > nests swirled anti-clockwise, in reeds and undergrowth. At precisely the
> > same time, virtually identical reports were coming from the Tully area
on
> > the other side of the globe. That's quite a coincidence don't you think?
>
> No. There are no 'reeds' around Cley Hill. There were grass circles,
yes...
> but not really enough by which to build a false premise.
>
>