The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix

MY ALL TIME HERO!!

A more than decent start to the day, Saturday that is, despite the wind staying

persistantly at Gale-Force while the rain only managed occassional bursts of very light stuff.

Only a single trap to attend which brought nothing with it until,

half way through the process, a skien of c15 rather challanging

GREYLAG GEESE

flew overhead - 2 out of 15 ain't bad?

Even better was a ragged

 RED KITE

which, while being added to the records showed up the fact that 

the recent Wood Warbler was the first ever for the month of August here.

Going on recent averages that should have been enough  but on arrival at the

Gravel Pit

was found to be far from it. To kick off with the 

COMMON SANDPIPER

was relocated before drifting off into the lyrics of the 

Pink Floyd Classic - Comfortably Numb.

When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone, I cannot put my finger on it now
the child is grown, the dream is gone.
For I, have become, comfortably numb!

 In this instance the object of desire had no wish to go as the

 LITTLE GREBE

 was undoubtedly

incubating eggs

 a prediction that BOTH of our readers will remember from

Past Posts.

These tiny waterfowl, no bigger than a tennis ball, must be the most nonchalant of birds as one minute building a nest, then it disappearing, the next day displaying and then copulating with still no signs of procreating then, seemingly from nowhere, this happens. However, let us reiterate the warning, which we know they are well aware of, as danger lurks close by.

GREY HERON

commute from pond to pond.

Also there and indicative of the start of autumnal

 Wildfowl Movement

 were this pair (male) of

 GADWALL

(female)

Reaching the Heath we again came to the conclussion that one of the good things

associated with a fresh breeze is when it passes through the branches and leaves.

Again due to the inclement weather no Moth Traps were activated on the

Heath but nonetheless a check was made to see if all remained well.

That's when we stumbled across this little artifact, maybe a throw-back to the 

Second World War?

 There was surely an active Air Field here in those gone by days as there is
much debris from maybe brick built barracks, wooden out-houses and even a bund
on which a railway ran transporting wounded sevice men and women to hospital.

 Standing looking at it for an age my thoghts were

"if only you could talk"!

It is an odd day indeed that while monitoring the traps here that we don't hear or see a

Nuthatch and/or Treecreeper

which are rarely seen, especially the later, a tiny mouse of a thing.

But it was to be our lucky day.

 with a

TREECREEPER

and then

ASPENS

with that haunting, shivering sound.

 All else that was there was the

Helicopter Pilot Trainer

 in action, so time for the

Solar Panel Compound

where was found something of the No. 58 Bus syndrome as having stated in the week

 that we had never seen one 'grounded' there before

today there was not only one and

 not only 2

but a

 TRIO

(everything comes to he/she who waits)

We feel a Bottle of Wine coming on!

Living in the Past - Jethro Tull

They there Seed Drills come in mighty handy!

Given the raging gale of yesterday most things seem to have

Gone to Ground

so we are forced once again to rely on the ever reliable archive!

Takes little, or NO, arm twisting to be

Living in the Past 

 so will take the opportunity to continue the voyage across the Southern Oceans.

Happy and I'm smiling, walk a mile to drink your water
You know I'd love to love you and above you there's no other

We'll go walking out, while others shout of war's disaster
Oh, we won't give in, let's go Living in the Past

Welcome to my 

Very Favorite Place on Plant Earth

ANTARCTICA

Whether geographically correct or not, Sue and I considered our arrival at
South Geogia
as crossing the border into Antarctica proper and doubt there will be any spliting hairs!

So firstly a description of a few of the Ice Formations encountered during this part of the passage.
Of course

 ICEBERGs
feature promonantly with this particular monster measuring

18 miles in length (just a baby) and unimaginable to think that this
Ice Mass is Floating!

 Hope Bay

later in the day up close and comfortable.

 BERGY BITS
are large Bits that fall off of Bergs
while

GROWLERs
are even smaller but no less a threat to navigation!

LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS

Reaching the shallower waters around 
South Georgia the mighty

MV DISCOVERY

dropped anchor in the 'sound'.

The Seamen were predominantly Pilipino and professionally of the highest order,

who in a matter of minutes had the

Mediterranean Ladder 

rigged for debarkation,

 liberty and safety boats launched

quickly transferring us to the Whaling Station jetty.  

We had already been briefed on the safety regulations and the need to protect this
Fragile Land
with each of us having to undertake a

scrupulous us cleaning regime

boots scrubbed, vacume cleaned from stem to stern along with all
Velcro Strips

meticulously checked for seeds or any other plant life.

It was only then that we were allowed, individually, to step onto the

'capital town' 

GRYTVIKEN
greeted by a pair of

 SOUTH GEORGIAN PINTAIL

and regiments of seemingly sluggish

ELEPHANT SEALs

 which we had no intention of testing for speed

 and only outnumbered by what can only be described as
MAGICAL

ADELIE PENGUINs

Don't know if you will be able to make anything of this sign

but it wasn't too long before we started to get a daunting feeling about this place where so many

Ocean Leviathans 

met their end with one of these lanced into them. 
Not wishing to cast judgement, under the same set of circumstances
any one of us might have been forced into such a barbaric way of life,
but still there are powerful nations across the world slaughtering these
Gentle Giants!!!!
When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?
(Peter, Paul and Mary)

 The bulky, powerful and ferocious

 SOUTHERN GIANT PETREL
brings this half of the 
Antarctica Adventure 
to a close but not before showing the very best find of that day by the 2 of us!

The 'scarce' White Morph
SOUTHERN GIANT PETREL

to be continued........