Harking back to Friday and the apology of the following day, it was a most welcome visitation by
DAVE PENNEY
a long-time shipmate from those heady years onboard the Buchan Alpha Floating Oil Production Platform in the North Sea. Having, as usual, taken breakfast at 05:00 to maximise time on the upperdeck seaching for Wildlife, when relieved Dave was encountered at the bottom of the stair-well to the heli-deck and asked just what I did ever morning 'up-top'. My reply was to grab the rig binoculars and follow me to the upper-deck where he was directed to the starboard flare-boom and ask if he could see anything unusual among the Gulls. He quickly picked out the immature
a long-time shipmate from those heady years onboard the Buchan Alpha Floating Oil Production Platform in the North Sea. Having, as usual, taken breakfast at 05:00 to maximise time on the upperdeck seaching for Wildlife, when relieved Dave was encountered at the bottom of the stair-well to the heli-deck and asked just what I did ever morning 'up-top'. My reply was to grab the rig binoculars and follow me to the upper-deck where he was directed to the starboard flare-boom and ask if he could see anything unusual among the Gulls. He quickly picked out the immature
GLAUCOUS GULL
followed by 'catching' a
YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER
among other things, which was him well and truely hooked!
After a previous visit some years ago he also graduated towards Moths and so we headed for the traps. En-route a
among other things, which was him well and truely hooked!
After a previous visit some years ago he also graduated towards Moths and so we headed for the traps. En-route a
GREAT TIT
was seen, absent over most of the Summer thus far, and while nothing new was caught there were a good number of Insects not familiar to him as trapping in a quite different environment, such as.
was seen, absent over most of the Summer thus far, and while nothing new was caught there were a good number of Insects not familiar to him as trapping in a quite different environment, such as.
SMALL RIVULET
the ever welcome beauty that is
LARGE EMERALD
with
BLACKCAPs
continuously singing
continuously singing
COXCOMB PROMINENT
and the GIANT among its peers
PINE HAWK-MOTH
Other expectations were not high given the season but got lucky with
Other expectations were not high given the season but got lucky with
almost equally vocal
NUTHATCH
With all Reptiles being extremely scarce this year it was considered a
With all Reptiles being extremely scarce this year it was considered a
real bonus to find
c2
SMOOTH SNAKES
under one cover
under one cover
and a
CLICK BEETLE
under another.
under another.
A Mellow Yellow
WILLOW WARBLER
was also a welcome addition with things going
was also a welcome addition with things going
'slightly off the scale'
when one of the juveniles also obliged.
Hopes were high in finding the Star of the Show as the
Hopes were high in finding the Star of the Show as the
LITTLE GREBE HUMBUG
was found away from the nest in open water but still under the
watchful eye of the parent bird
with the
Cherry on the Cake
being provided by the considered 'returning'
being provided by the considered 'returning'
GADWALL
Foot Note:-
Dave more or less took over from me after retirement sending records to the North Sea Bird Club, which is considered the same as any County in the UK, with a dedicated recorder and all. His observations were truely rewarded when finding, observing and photographing the first and still only
LAUGHING GULL
(from the America's)
for that Sea-way but not these individuals, from the archive, we hasten to add.
