Independent 7,299/Radian

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Seems to have been a while since I blogged a Radian puzzle, so nice of him to pop up.

There’s a good ornithological theme to this one, with references in many clues and answers. Much like in the real world, I often come a cropper with birds in the crossworld and had to double-check one or two guesses once I was done, but everything was perfectly solvable from the wordplay here.

Across
1 COCKATOO – C(aught) in OK in (A COOT)*
5 SEESAW – SEE + SAW I think, though not sure if/how ‘now and then’ = SAW
9 COAL TITS – CO (wing’s of COCKATOO) + (A STILT)*
10 DIPPER – PP in (RIDE)*, ref. rollercoasters
12 OPEN – O (duck) + PEN
13 BRENT GOOSE – (David) BRENT + O(hio) in (GOES)*
15 WILLOW WARBLER – W.I’LL + W in (BOWL RARE)*
18 HOORAY HENRIES – (YAHS + HEROIN OR E)*
22 ARCTIC TERN – A + C in (CRITTER) * + N(ormal)
24 BLUE – Odd letters of BiLl UsEd
27 ECCLES – CCL (250) in SEE rev.
28 WHIMBREL – WHIM (caprice) + (Jacques) BREL
29 RUSTIC – (IT’S)* in RUC
30 AL JOLSON – A L(ine) + (J.LO’S)* + ON
Down
1 CUCKOO – COO around [-b]UCK[-s]
2 CRAKE – CRANE with K (Potassium) for N (Nitrogen)
3 ANTS – Hidden in migrANT Species
4 ONTARIO – (TRAIN)* in double O
6 EWING – E(ast) WING, which is opposite the West Wing!
7 SOPHOCLES – (HE + SCOPS O[-w]L)*
8 WAR WEARY – WEAR in WARY
11 SNOW – SNOW[-Y OWL]
14 FLEA – Hidden in yafFLE Alae
16 WOODCOCKS – COCK in WOODS
17 RAIL – LIAR rev.
19 WHEATEAR – A[-berystwyth] in (WEATHER)*
20 NARWHAL – RAN rev. + W[-it]H A L
21 MERLIN – R and L in (MINE)*
23 ICENI – Initial letters of In Coastal England Near Ipswich
25 LARKS – ARK in [-wal]LS[-end]
26 AMMO – M in AMO

11 comments on “Independent 7,299/Radian”

  2. A nice set of clues to go with a well-filled grid. Some interesting definitions e.g. …suffering PTSD?

  3. As usual, the only answer I had any question about wasn’t mentioned.
    19. Huts.
    Lowly lodgings for Rwandans, not last of Zulu.
    Please explain wordplay.

  6. Sorry, I do usually include all clues, but HUTS must have slipped through the net!

    Cheers for explaining 5A too. A very good clue

  7. Second very good Indy crossword of the week, and it’s only Tuesday. Having had an interest in birds (of the feathered variety, natch) when I was younger, this was a good theme for me. SEESAW was inspired, as was the cricketing reference at 15ac. And time hurries on: 29ac wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago, or so I thought, but found on checking that it was in fact in 2001 that the RUC became the PSNI.

  8. Loved 15D! A good knowledge of birds was handy – got several without fully expanding the word plays.

    18A good too.

    I like PTSD (Post Traumatic Stres Disorder) for War weary now that I see the answer (actually thought it was war years – wary followed by ears as meaning Durham banker, but couldn’t work out why)

  9. I might have stood a chance if there hadn’t been different numbers for clues 15, 16 and 17 down. In my paper 15 was woodcock, 16 rail, and 17 was wheatear. How does that happen?

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