In July away I fly, in August away I must!
As says the Cuckoo but it is also in this month that we see a noticeable
fall in most of our bird species and other Wildlife alike.
It is along the coastal fringes, with their promontories, such as
Portland Bill or Hengistbury Head (both Dorset) that we now start to
see
small gatherings of early returning migrants and of course the odd
RARITY!
Unfortunately, and while only 5 miles from the coast, there are no (or
few)
such luxuries here which is all leading to breaking to you gently the
fact that we might not have enough ammunition for the usual and local
Wildlife Posts!
However, what we do have are volumes of stories and at least double
that amount of images / vids in the archive so hopefully our
Valued Readership
will not go without - if you pass the link on to your friends and
families that is! THANKS!
For the first of these we wander back to the early Spring of 1982 when much sabre-rattling quickly
esculated into a conflict which was known as the Falkland War, but never designated to that status! It also involved the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia, which we may well cover in another post, but for now we might reflect on how many people on both sides have to die before such a qualification as WAR is decided??
esculated into a conflict which was known as the Falkland War, but never designated to that status! It also involved the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia, which we may well cover in another post, but for now we might reflect on how many people on both sides have to die before such a qualification as WAR is decided??
At that time my post was as the Second Mate on the
Ocean Salvage Tug Typhoon
stationed at Portland Naval Base, Dorset and with not a clue as to what was to come,
2 weeks leave was applied for, granted as we wandered down to Cornwall for a break.
On my return it was directly to the jetty where the Ol' Girl usually laid, only to find her GONE,
as the 'very first' vessel to be deployed from Great Britain to the Southern Oceans!
Beyond disaster for me, it was one, if not the, greatest miss of my maritime careers in either the
Royal or Merchant Navies!
It was as late as 2007 before the ballance was redressed when alnog with my then ladyfriend
Susan Hallam
we embarked on a mutually agreed
ADVENTURE of a LIFETIME!
Again it had been Sue who found the carrier in the first place and made all the arrangement
which started with a flight to LA and a ***** hotel including caviar on the breakfast buffet, then onto Buenous Aires (ditto) with 2 days Bird Watching and finally to embark the ship
MV DISCOVERY
at the most southerly Argentinian town of
SUE
Patagonia
Joy of Joy's the 'birding' could not have started better when more or less
our
First Bird
was the magnificent
DOLPHIN GULL
which in those days was a 'magical' addition as still trying to record every
Gull species in the World!
Additionally, it would be impossible to attach all the bird images but here are a few,
along with scenes, including:-
CHIMANGO CARACARA
Never did discover whether this was an Airport or Museum?
ANTARCTIC TERN
KELP GULL
which have sub-species right across the Continents that border the
Southern Oceans
and which one day (stranger things have happened) through DNA sampling could achive
'Single Species Status'?
Bring it on, we are well prepared as having seen them all!
thought they might have towed her off the 'putty' by now!
(male)
and finally before setting sail a
a widespread American Wader which does pay the very occassional visit
to our own shores.
CHUGGING OUT INTO THE
We didn't see so much as a ripple outward bound or inward,
unless of course you include our Hendrick's and Fever Tree!
To be continued........
