Saturday 1 October 2016

Falkland Islands I

While monging through the plethora of images that might adorn our headed, to herald yet another new month, we happened upon one that was not only thought suitable but also inspired some long overdue research. That of the Yellow-footed Gull (above) is associated with a third exciting trip along the full length of the Alaska Highway, a sensational and not to be missed adventure in itself. For some years prior to 2011 we had been pursuing all the 54 species of Gull in the World, but up until then any additions to that list were simply as part of any particular trip rather than a dedicated ‘twitch’! With only c3 species left to record at that time it was decided to try for the penultimate c2 (if indeed that phrase is grammatically correct) in ‘one fell swoop’, although considered mightily ambitious even for a seasoned traveller such as myself. The goal was eventually achieved with both species being not only seen but also photographed, but what had never been calculated, until yesterday at least, were the number of miles travelled on certainly my longest ‘twitch’ ever. The accompanying caption tells the tale of the first, but the second
 RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
 was still 'thousands' of miles away on 
Saint Paul one of the 4 volcanic Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea.
Distance (in miles) Statistics

Weymouth to Heathrow Airport (return)          252
H A to Los Angeles                                      5,440                                       
LA to San Felipe, Baja Califirnia (return)          656
LA to Anchroage, Alaska (overland)             3,398
Anchorage to Saint Paul (return)                       763
Anchrage to Heathrow                                  4,469
TOTAL                                                      14,978
That's 7,500 miles per Sh*t* Hawk but much, much more besides!
and as promised at the completion of the
Antarctica Leg of the Memoir
a few images from
 "La CuestiĆ³n de las Islas Malvinas"
 UPLAND GOOSE
 ANTARCTIC TERN
 TWO-BANDED PLOVER
 FALKLANDS AUSTRAL THRUSH
 KELP GEESE
(female and male right)
BLACK-CHINNED SISKIN
(male)
 BLACK-CHINNED SISKIN
(female)
FALKLANDS GRASS WREN
Part II when time allows.
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