[madbadgalaxyman (Robert)]

Paddy, glad you found the post worthwile.
You do a good job of describing what you see, in your observational notes.

Though I am notorious for promising to make observing lists, and then not having the time to do so, I will definitely post a list of easily observable nuclear starburst regions found near the centres of various barred spiral galaxies.
(I know which galaxies have starbursts ; and I have many photographs, at hand, for these objects)
In some cases, the actual giant patches of HII Regions and OB stars that comprise circumnuclear starburst regions are obscured by dust, but there can also be very interesting High Contrast dust lanes near to the centres of galaxies. (In general, a circumnuclear starburst region looks like a patchy ring of giant star-forming regions)

(The list will probably have to wait a week, as I am Extremely Busy counting soil invertebrates using my stereomicroscope.....yes, this astronomer also studies the dirt.....)