Sunday, 3 April 2022

In the Middle of An Island - The King Brothers

Another Sunday, another special as we wander off to the
Pribilof Islands 
and Saint Paul's the more northerly of the 2 below the quay, in the heart of the Bearing Sea for a festival of Wildlife in 2002.
As soon as the aircraft landed I was captivated by the
GREY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH
and turned to find not a human being in sight, including my guide.
ARCTIC FOX
with juvenile.
with below the cliff one of my
Old Charges!
SNOW BUNTING
with young,
and where the TV programme
The Deadliest Catch
was filmed.
NORTHERN FUR SEAL
colony
below the cliffs.
CRESTED AUKLET
colony
HARLEQUIN DUCK
ROCK SANDPIPER
also with young.
HARBOUR SEAL
(juvenile)
and while among a flock of what the Americans call
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
(known here as simply Kittiwake)
the absolute 'bird of the trip' for me
as still in pursute of all of the 57 species of Gulls in the World
RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
as we head for the cliffs next Sunday.

Saturday, 2 April 2022

Space Oddity - Bowie IV

 Our final day in the county was to be spent traversing the East Norfolk Coast, a personal favourite, if
only for the Lighthouses and Windmills alone.

Starting with the latter we have neither time nor memory to name them.
more
AVOCETs
LIGHTHOUSE
rounding the bend and heading south.
more
LAPWINGS
along
this section of
Shingle Beach
and yet another
MICROLIGHT
REDSHANK
and lots of
ALEXANDER
(Warblers just love it)
LIGHT ORANGE UNDERWING LARVAE (Catapillars)

Windmills of Your Mind
(Noel Harrison)

Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel.

Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel.

Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon.

Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon.

Like the circles that you find, in the Windmills of your mind!

SHOVELER
Just call me 'Angle' of the morning, 'Angel'.
Just touch my cheek before you leave me, Baby! - Juice Newton
and there was sure as Hell no chance of leaving the county before a visit to our favoured Tea Room, a veritable Museum and Library within - "we forgot, to take any 'snaps' inside"!

and THANKS for a GREAT weekend Dave!

Friday, 1 April 2022

Space Oddity III

 The final 3 parts of our epic journey come in no particular chronological or geographical order as among all the excitement of the wonders to be seen we have once again Lost the Plot! Tidying up what was left of the happenings along the north coast tomorrow we hope to bring you a little more of what we consider a better representation of East Anglia to the East as a finale.

BAR-TAILED GODWIT
feeding
and
flying.
MARSH HARRIER
also on the wing.
A short cameo of
REDSHANK
displaying
feeding
across both salt and fresh water.
sticking with the 'reds'
RED KITE
SHELDUCK
in flight
and
grounded.
SHOVELER feeding
as was
this
RUFF
and as we rounded the north east corner of the county it was yet again Dave who sorted the single
BEWICK's SWAN
from the herd of other waterfowl - what a day!!

Thursday, 31 March 2022

Space Oddity II - Bowie

 Please don't ask the name of our continuing adventure as forgotten even before arrival, but fact was just off the edge of the ancient

BEECH FOREST
had been residing, for a few weeks now, a scarce
LITTLE BUNTING
had been residing for a number of days, but not now. However, our efforts were to see some reword as it had been replced by a
RING OUZEL
a member of the Thrush family which is more at home at altitude, mountainsides etc, and usually only seen on the flatlands during migration - a nice stroke of luck with a 'back-up cast' being none to shabby as well with the local
STEAM TRAIN
making a
Noisy Pass
and our first
Forget-me-Not
of the year along with distant veiws of a typical
Suffolk Village with attendant Windmillwith
ALEXANDRA
underfoot
and the occassional flitting of a
LIGHT ORANGE UNDERWING MOTH
(daytime flier)
but time for a move, through the self-same forest and onward to the
NORTH NORFOLK COAST
and its plethora of bird-life and met in the first instance
by a pair of noisy
GREYLAG GEESE
before being called back by the Warden to view a
GARGANEY
we had
overlooked.
Among the more expected were
LITTLE EGRET
AVOCET
displaying,
strolling,
feeding and in company with a single
RUFF
PERRIWINKLE
a most elegant
RED KITE
Identification Aid
MICROLIGHT
CURLEW
feeding.