J. L. Seagull - The End (of this trip at least)

Altough it may very well look like it from previous posts, our trip to the

Pribilof Island of Saint Paul 

was not all about Birds but also the way of life, the people, the history / geography and how they all survive in such remoteness!

Among others and having undertaken my first Air Dive in the

Seychelle Islands

as far back as 1965 the creatures of the mighty oceans have also formed a great interest for me.

2 years later qualifying as a Royal Navy Diver it seemed just a natural to take up the hobby of

Spearfishing and Off-shore Angling

which were both an environmentally friendly way of putting food on the table while enjoying the thrill.

After the visit to the Wine Locker and Beer Store it was off to the harbour to watch

'When the Boat Comes In'

"You shall have a fishy on a little dishy when the boat comes in"

NORTHERN PRINCE

there are two seperate seasons in these climes with

 HALIBUT

caught on hooked long-lines

being the prime target during my stay

Fish, he got a hook in his throat,
Fish, he got problems - now.

Where does he go? What does he do?
Does he hope he's too small, to poor a haul,
who'll end up bein' thrown back in the sea?
I'm back in the sea!

                                                                                                  Dodo / Lurker - Genesis Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TB6e4IbPZQ

Rock Trivia:- You will all have noted that this vid was recorded after the departure of both Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett when, as responding to a suggestion by his wife, Collins took to the microphone and remained part time drummer. That stool was soon taken over by ex-Weather Report drummer and American Chester Thompson while Hackett's axe fell to the sensational US session musician Daryl Sturmer who, in this clip, is in fact playing base guitar leaving Mike Rutherford with the lead instrument.

Dodo has to be one of the neatest Enviromental Protest songs ever compossed while the lyrics of Lurker are a conundrum - what is Collins metaphorically describing?

Meanwhile lurking by a stone in the mud,
two eyes looked to see what I was and
then something spoke and this is what
It said to me.......
Clothes of brass and hair of brown
Seldom need to breathe
Don't need no wings to fly
and a heart of stone
a fear of fire and water Who am I?

Answers via Comments please

but we digress........

 Even as a Seasoned Salt myself I wouldn't want to be too far off-shore in 
VOYAGER

THEN, OF COURSE, COMES THE PROCESSING

 Such monuments always send me into 
Deep Thoughts

 FLOWERS in the RAIN - The Move

 All of the equipment for the next season lies ready and waiting for the

 SNOW CRABS
to arrive. This is one area where the TV series
The Deadliest Catch
is filmed.

 LONG-TAILED SKUA

 We leave you with the RAREST bird of the whole visit to St Paul
a most unexpected candidate but only the second record ever of a

COMMON EIDER

As we come to the end of what was surely a 

Monumental Journey

we reflect on the 35,500 miles, door to door, TWITCH for just 2

SHY TALKS

which was not quite the case but formed a hugh part of it!

Did we finally achieve the 54th species Full House of every Gull in the World?

The answer surely lies in a Blog close to you? 
Hope to see you again soon if we can drum up something else to bore you with!

J L S (Part VI cont)

To continue the adventure in Pictures we prioritise by heading straight off to the

 Wiine and Beer store where we will meet my guide

FOREST ROWLAND and his most able assistant BETH DAVY

 before heading off for the

CLIFFS

Great Expectations here and there were to be no disappointments!

First up, and always nice to start the day with a 'Lifer'

 CRESTED AUKLET

(just wait until there's one of them at

Portland Bill

similar has happened see below)

A FLOWER?

 GREEN-WINGED TEAL

HARBOUR SEAL PUP

again we saw no adults

 The Bizarre

HORNED PUFFIN

VEGA GULL

 SNOW BUNTING

(male)

SNOW BUNTING

(female)

SNOW BUNTING

(juvenile)

 Diverse Mosses

 PACIFIC WREN

LEAST AUKLET

Then the moment I had hoped and waited for

as we located

what was thought to be

 the only

 RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
on the Island

 The long wait was over as the penultimate and

 53rd speicies of Gull reached the log.
Already it was felt that a trip to the Far East would soon follow.

PARAKEET AUKLET

 and

PARAKEET AUKLET between 2 LEAST AUKLET's

 ROCK SANDPIPER

RED-FACED CORMORANT

 There have been a number of vagrants from such distant shores

to have shown themselves in

 Great Britain

 such as Ancient and Long-billed Murrlet along with Tufted Puffin

 but

 what the American's call

 Thick-billed Murre

 and what we know as

BRÜNNICH’S GUILLEMOT

 has not only shown up in GB but on my former patch of

 Portland Harbour - Dorset

 This is the bird which stayed a few days, much to the 'Twitchers' delight

 and seen and 'clicked' by me on 29/11/2013

As recalled when successfully twitching the Ancient Murrelet on Lundy Island 03/06/1990,

it was me who also observed "we'll never see the likes of that on our shores again"! 

Why don't I just keep it shut?

As on the 11/11/2006 we travelled to Dawlish Warren, again in Devon to veiw a superb

Long-billed Murrelet

For those of you who are still awake we end this second part of the Trilogy

with a sight very few people are likely to have seen 

 Given the Distribution of this Bird

as we return to the

 GREY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH
whiche were captured 
displaying,

 copulating

 displaying again
and

 carrying nesting material........