There are few I'd rather share major events with in my life than
Bowie & Sheila Edwards so it was the perfect place to end my 65th birthday. Armed with a bottle of Jacquart Champagne and a drop off the rough stuff, we ended up staying at their house with an Indian takeaway rather than going out which had been Plan A.
With some stimulating conversation, plenty of joking and some reminiscing
a good time was had by all.
I should also mention the presence of Roy Orbison, David Bowie and Pink Floyd, and these should be the final set of photos from the North American trip.
Northern Fur Seal
Northern Fur Seals with Pups (foreground).
Those who are familiar with the TV programme 'The Worlds Deadliest Catch' (or words to that effect, I am not a viewer) will recognise these Snow & King Crab pots. Each, a weighty cumbersome piece of kit,
that as you can see even I'm struggling with one, the show centres on St Paul as the dropping off point for the catch and this is where it is filmed. Interesting enough, but there was an ulterior motive for today's visit as this is the very spot where the only Siberian Rubythroat to land on the Pribilof's was found. Working on the theory that lightning CAN strike twice it was always worth a look, but maybe needless to say IT DIDN'T!
These are 'bait pots' that accompany the above, now I'm told all but redundant.
Some of the diverse moss and lichen hereabouts.
(juvenile) Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch
Pacific Wren (a World Lifer)
as it has now been 'split' from Winter Wren.
(male) Lapland Longspur (or Bunting to you and me) on one of the mass of Wild Lupin.
(female) Lapland Bunting
This morning
Forrest took me for a walk in the
Pribilof Forest (the only 'true' trees on the Island) and this is it!
Arctic Willow, he tells me, does reach the lofty height of 18 inches in places, but here it only ever achieves a paltry 4 inches.
Saxifrage
Unknown
We found this delightful
Red Phalarope (makes you wonder why we call it Grey Phalarope when you see one in this plumage) on the south west seashore, where it was quite content to pose.
Grey Phalarope in moult.
A nice little group of
Rock Sandpiper worthy of a photograph,
as was this Whirly Lousewort
There are few I'd rather share major events with in my life than Bowie & Sheila Edwards so it was the perfect place to end my 65th birthday. Armed with a bottle of Jacquart Champagne and a drop off the rough stuff, we ended up staying at their house with an Indian takeaway rather than going out which had been Plan A.
With some stimulating conversation, plenty of joking and some reminiscing
a good time was had by all.
I should also mention the presence of Roy Orbison, David Bowie and Pink Floyd, and these should be the final set of photos from the North American trip.
Northern Fur Seal
Northern Fur Seals with Pups (foreground).
Those who are familiar with the TV programme 'The Worlds Deadliest Catch' (or words to that effect, I am not a viewer) will recognise these Snow & King Crab pots. Each, a weighty cumbersome piece of kit,
These are 'bait pots' that accompany the above, now I'm told all but redundant.
Some of the diverse moss and lichen hereabouts.
(juvenile) Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch
Pacific Wren (a World Lifer)
as it has now been 'split' from Winter Wren.
(male) Lapland Longspur (or Bunting to you and me) on one of the mass of Wild Lupin.
(female) Lapland Bunting
This morning Forrest took me for a walk in the Pribilof Forest (the only 'true' trees on the Island) and this is it! Arctic Willow, he tells me, does reach the lofty height of 18 inches in places, but here it only ever achieves a paltry 4 inches.
Saxifrage
Unknown
We found this delightful Red Phalarope (makes you wonder why we call it Grey Phalarope when you see one in this plumage) on the south west seashore, where it was quite content to pose.
As we were about to leave another 2 flew in, both in advanced stage of moult, but none the less attractive.
Grey Phalarope in moult.
A nice little group of Rock Sandpiper worthy of a photograph,
as was this Whirly Lousewort
