Elmley RSPB

This week's Wednesday Wags' trip took us to Elmley RSPB Reserve in the vain hope of catching up with the purple heron which has been spotted there intermittently over the last few weeks.    Our usual five was reduced to five this week as Malcolm and Sally are sampling the delights of the Isle of Wight.

Green-Veined White

Meadow pipit were disturbed as we ventured down the track and we saw several green-veined white butterfly.   As we neared Wellmarsh Hide there were groups of up to 10 green-veined white together, and over the course of the day we saw at least 50.   At the hide we were met with a very dry, cracked scrape - the area having been drained to try to eradicate an algae - so no waders, but a family of whinchat gave us good views as they flew back and forth to the predator fencing.   In the distance we could see a female marsh harrier flying and kestrel hovering - with avocet on a far pool.

Wood Sandpiper

We decided to move to the Counterwall Hide where water remained and there was a greater chance of some waders.   Five wood sandpipers met our gaze as we arrived, and as we enjoyed watching their antics we also saw common sandpiper and pied and yellow wagtail.   The wood sandpipers were beautifully marked and the narrow banding on the tail was easily seen.   When they flew around the pool we were privileged to excellent views of the delicate plumage.

Wood Sandpiper

In the pools further back we could see ruff, ringed plover, common sandpiper, together with mallard, teal, shelduck and pied wagtail.    As I scanned the far pool there was a greenshank and several dunlin, and with the dunlin another small bird which turned out to be a little stint.   There was also a possibility of a garganey but it remained behind reeds and unconfirmed.   Another birdwatcher was quick to spot a merlin chasing a pack of swallows - although I got a fleeting glimpse the merlin wasn't spotted again.  According to Gordon (the warden) this is the first merlin sighted recently and about the right time for the start of their autumn migration.

Water Vole Latrine

After enjoying the delights of the pools for some time, lunch called and we left the hide.   At the small bridge outside the hide I spotted a couple of planks of wood in the ditch which had been used by a water vole as a latrine.   Irene and I stopped and as we were musing over Malcolm's absence (he being an enthusiastic vole-man) the reeds started to rustle and move - there was obviously something in there!   We silently watched as something continued to move in the reeds.   There was the sound of munching and although the reeds near the water continued to move and the crunching of the reeds continued, we could not see the creature responsible.   The other birdwatcher came out of the hide and we had to move on, but it was fascinating to be so close.   A couple more birdwatchers came towards the hide and as I looked to the sky 4 spoonbill were flying over with their distinctive "spoons" leading the way.   All six of us managed to get good views, but as we were low in the reed beds we could not see where the birds landed, and they were not seen again all the time we were on the reserve.

Red Admiral

Now we really wanted lunch and we decided to use the bench near the disabled car park which gives you 360 degree views of the reserve and surrounding land - we had kindly been allowed to bring the car down the track.   How fortuitous that was!  Within 10 minutes of settling ourselves down the black clouds started to move in a vortex above our heads and moments later they gave full vent to their feelings and a cloudburst started to drench us.   Never have three birders moved so fast - we were back in the car within minutes and grateful for the drier option.

Lunch over and it was a walk to South Fleet Hide through the long grasses that always seem to produce a huge number of butterflies.  Although on this occasion the variety was not quite as good as earlier in the year, the number was high.  Many green-veined white, several common blue and gatekeeper, and a pristine red admiral.  

Yellow Wagtail

At the South Fleet Hide there were once again great views of green sandpipers, greenshank, mallard, teal, shelduck and lapwing.   We could hear birds scrambling about on the roof of the hide and as we watched we realised it was a family of yellow wagtail.   Gradually they all flew down onto a small beach area on the edge of the pool in front of us.   There were two adult birds and several juveniles, the most we counted at one time was eight birds in various stages of plumage.   They were chasing and flying into the air, balancing on the fence and then feeding in the field beyond.   At one stage several of them joined a party of starlings feeding at the feet of the grazing cows.  

Snipe

A snipe flew in and fed alongside some duck, and we watched for several minutes as it moved alongside the edge of the reeds feeding and preening.

It was now time to take our leave and on the way back to the car I took the opportunity to go a small way up the seawall and peer over at the mudflats.    Here were the curlew that we had been hearing all day, over a dozen of them dotted around with black-headed gulls and redshank.

Back at the wardens house we found goldfinch, greenfinch and huge numbers of swallow, the latter were gathering on the telegraph wires, with adults still feeding the young.    It was great to see them, but brought to mind the fact that they are gathering to start on their long journey south for the winter.    Paul spotted a sparrowhawk darting around the barn - presumably after a crafty meal.

KWT- Oare, Kent

Oare

Having enjoyed my day at the Bird Fair yesterday, it was good to be back out in the field today with my local RSPB Group at Oare.

Golden Plover

Unfortunately for those attending, I was leading today, and it was a relief to see that I had some stalwart experts with me today.   As we met up in the car park, we exchanged windfall eating apples for toffee, fudge and werther's originals!   After this important business had been completed, we moved off to see which birds were feeding at the waters edge.  Although it was low tide, there were lots of black-headed gull, redshank, black-tailed godwit, ringed plover and a few knot and dunlin in the mix.   Along the sea wall there were three yellow wagtails, several linnet, cetti's warbler, goldfinch and a couple of young reed warbler.

From the hide at the end of the creek we watched 109 avocets (yes I did count them), and further away on the other side of the creek were a further 80 or so (too far away to count!).   Sandwich and common tern were feeding at the mouth of the creek and further along the wall in the reeds were saw three bearded tit, a couple of reed bunting, and a young sedge warbler.

Black-tailed Godwit

On the main pool we watched hundreds of black-tailed godwit, ruff with their bright orange legs, oystercatcher, redshank, greenshank, little egret and little grebre.   Cormorants were stationed on several of the islands.   Overhead two curlew flew past, sand martin, swallow and house martin were also seen.   In the fields jackdaw, rook and crow strutted about, and on the islands and the edge of the pool were hundreds of starling, some of them in their rather strange caramel coloured plumage. 

On my usual quest for colour rings, there were two birds with them, a ruff and a black-tailed godwit, so hopefully I will be able to find out more about these birds.  

Neil took charge of the butterfly list and had large and small white, meadow brown and common blue.

Bird Fair 2011

I had a great time yesterday, at the Bird Fair.   Many go looking for new optical equipment or to broaden their horizons - I seem to bump into all those people I have met during the previous years on various trips at home and abroad - and I love every minute of it!   How great to catch up with like-minded people who are keen to reminisce over old meetings and give sound advice on potential trips in the future.  

I went with Malcolm and Sally and our first port of call was a cup of tea - the first of the day for me - before sitting down with the map to plan the day.  This was all thrown completely out of kilter when I bumped into Rachel who was manning the Regua stand (shared with the Ubatuba team) for my favourite reserve in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest.  [see the link to REGUA]  As we chatted over the latest sightings at the reserve and marvelled at the skill of the guides and the fact that they keep on finding new birds for the reserve (456 species on the list as I write) I was offered some of their fantastic cakes including Bellbird Brownie, Spadebill Shortbread and Bananaquit or Fruitcrow Flapjack - just to remind me a little bit of Brazil.

BTO Bird Ringing Stall

As I moved around the fair there were bird ringing demonstrations by the BTO, some excellent coffee sweets from Colombia, coffee from World Land Trust, free dried mealworms from one of the bird feed companies, and more tourism stalls than you could ever imagine - given the current financial climate, it's hard to see how they can all continue to flourish.   There were some excellent book stalls with both new and used books at great prices, clothing was also a highlight for anyone needing to upgrade their wardrobe.

After Brazil, it was off to South Africa for me where Kay and Rob were manning a stall for a good friend of theirs.   We are planning a trip to Chile, hopefully next year and the point of our meeting was to move the arrangements forward - sadly our friend Enrique from Chile was not in the UK this year so we could not have a reunion on this occasion, but the power of the internet will, I am sure, prove successful evenutally.

In the Lecture Marquee

Next port of call was Margaret's stand, a photographer friend who has taken many fine photographs of birds and wildlife in various parts of the world.   Not only mounted and framed pictures, but also canvases which really seem to set off the subjects well.   Although a little slow at first, I am sure business will pick up as the fair progresses, as her photos are great.   It is always good to see the end result of pictures taken when we have been away on trips together.

After that it was off to see my friends at the Ornitholidays stand - I have travelled with them several times over the last few years and it is always good to catch up and see what new trips are available for the coming year.  I bumped into Paul, the person who led my very first birdwatching holiday and we had a great time remembering incidents from that trip over 12 years ago.   Amazingly he could remember more incidents than I, although he must have led 100s of tours since then.

Taking my leave of them it was time for lunch and another guide and friend, Mike and I decided to try the pork roast sandwiches, scrummy with stuffing and apple sauce.   Fully saited it was back to cover the second half of the marquees.   Mike knows lots of stand holders as he has (a) been coming to the bird fair as an exhibitor and (b) he has been leading tours for many years and travelled all over the world.   It was great to go around with him and be introduced to so many interesting people.   The ladies from the Alderney Tourist Board offered Chilli Dark Chocolate, there was a warm welcome from the two ladies from the Asa Wright Centre in Trinidad, and some friendly banter between Mike and David from Naturetrek.   As they stood trading insults I took the opportunity to catch up with Paul from the same company who had co-led my recent Arctic trip.

By now it was time to take our leave of the Bird Fair and move off to the Wildlife Trust Reserve at Lyndon to see the Ospreys.   As we had been to the Bird Fair you are allowed free access to the reserve and the volunteers there are so helpful and friendly you can't help but enjoy a trip there.   From the centre windows we watched greenfinch, chaffinch, and house sparrow on the huge feeders, then Malcolm noticed a marsh tit which repeatedly fed from one of the feeders then flew off to some hawthorn bushes and back to the feeder again. 

Two Ospreys at the Nest

Then it was off to see the ospreys.   They have been successful this year and we watched a male and two young near one of the nests and there was apparently another juvenile and the female somewhere in the area.   As we watched the youngsters feeding on the nest, the male made swooping flights over the water and perched in a nearby tree.   In a field there were two buzzards sitting on the ground and swallows and martins flew low over the reservoir, following the swallows as they began to soar Sally noticed several birds of prey high over the treetops - in the end five buzzard were "kettling" in the thermals.

Bug Hotel

As we left the reserve for the long drive home, we admired the bug hotel near the entrance, which has a wide variety of homes for all sorts of insects.

The drive back was uneventful but lengthy - Friday night never being the best time to attempt the M11 and M25 but we made it in just under 3 hours.

Having left home at 7.15 am and arriving back at around 8.00 pm, it was great to have a dinner ready and waiting for me - I'm so lucky to have Karon & Richard as neighbours.

Where are all those birds?

Today, the Wednesday Wags decided that we should try to track down some of the migrants which have so far eluded us.

Bishopstone Beach

Our original plan was to try Reculver and then move on to Grove Ferry, however as we flew down the M2 Malcolm decided that Bishopstone to the west of Reculver might prove fruitful.   As I had never been there before and none of us had been there recently, we headed for the car park by the cliffs.  

With an area known as Bishopstone Glen - a valley full of the trees and shrubs that migrants favour and a stream with reeds in the base the omens were good.   Unfortunately the birds had other ideas.

Meadow Pipit

From the car park we saw wood pigeon, collared dove and starling.   We walked west for a while - seawatching as we wandered along the cliff, through some more open land which has been cut where the paths are but left elsewhere, and the flowers were excellent.   A kestrel hung in the breeze over the cliff edge giving great views (until Sally got the camera out).

On the beach we spotted oystercatchers, carrion crow, herring gull, magpie and black-headed gull.   In the shrubs on the cliff top we found blackbird, a juvenile robin, and a superbly marked meadow pipit.   There were several linnet feeding on the seedheads which flew ahead of us as we continued along towards Reculver.   There were a couple of little egret on the shore.   Malcolm and Irene heard a sandwich tern and eventually spotted the bird flying towards the towers, showing well against the blue sky.

Knopper Gall

At the glen we found a small oak tree (more of a bush really) which was absolutely loaded with knopper galls, amazing growths on the side of acorns.   In some cases they have completely covered the acorns with their shiny green sticky growth.   The only birds spotted in the area were many wood pigeons, a couple of blackbirds and at least 6 house sparrows. 

As we had lunch on the top of the cliff by the car park we found several goldfinches as well and large mixed groups of starling and house sparrow flew over.

After lunch we moved on to Grove Ferry.   From the viewing mound we saw cormorant, little egret, lapwing, and ruff.   We were just about to move on when another birdwatcher called our attention to a small dark bird in the far corner of the pool.   There was a really small line of vision with the reeds blowing around and holding the telescope still enough to get a good view was impossible.   However our friend was of the opinion that it was a spotted crake.   We decided that we should give the bird some time and try to get a better view - easier said than done!   For every five minutes we waited we got a very quick 2 seconds of part of the bird, with all the bits of the jigsaw put together it was impossible to come to any conclusion and we left having passed on the responsibility of identification to another birdwatcher.

There had been mention of a spotted redshank which flew off from the pool and into the reeds, so we decided to move to Harrisons Drove Hide.   There didn't seem to be much about as we sat in the hide, but I felt the view might be better from the screen outside.   Malcom joined me and within seconds had seen the spotted redshank.   As I got the telescope on to it Malcolm got the others from the hide and we were soon all looking at both a winter plumage bird and summer plumage specimen.

Mouse Moth

As we watched the birds which moved around feeding frantically, we lost track of the paler bird.   When it reappeared the legs did not see to be as red a previously and there was some debate as to Malcolm and my identification skills.   We were convinced that it had red legs but had to admit that the bird we were looking at did not seem to.   We decided that it must have been replaced by a greenshank - but we only managed to confirm that when I got back and looked at some rather fuzzy photographs that I took.   Although not worthy of publication there is a shot of the initial pale bird we saw with red legs - perhaps I had better hold onto the photo for future debates.

On our way back to the car we stopped in at Feast's Hide where shoveler, mallard, teal, coot, moorhen and mute swan were joined by around 16 green sandpipers.   Once again Malcolm came to the fore with the sighting of a juvenile water rail, with the plumage just starting to show 1st winter patterning.   A gentleman birdwatching with his young daughter spotted a bittern flying away from us quite high above the reed bed - it gave us good views before disappearing towards Canterbury.

We saw a female marsh harrier hunting and heard a green woodpecker calling from the river area.   Having seen the juvenile water rail we were keen to go back to the potential spotted crake and check it out again, so we returned to the viewpoint.

Here a male marsh harrier put up the lapwings and starlings on the island in the scrape.   A grey wagtail landed amongst the starlings and a ringed plover was also seen.   Although we got a couple more fleeting glimpses of the bird in question, it was impossible to make an identification at that distance with the wind disruption and our level of expertise, so it remains a mystery.

Garden Mystery - update

Just shows the power of the internet.

I've just been advised that it is probably the egg cases of Southern red mites (Oligonychus ilicis), so there you go, another mystery answered.

Every day's a school day!

Garden mystery

Whilst doing a bit of essential pruning in the garden this weekend (sorry Malcolm but it was ESSENTIAL I made two interesting discoveries in as many seconds.

Bird nest

The first was a superbly built bird nest - sadly unused - which was low down in a holly bush in a quiet corner of the garden.   The nest was well camoflagued, but a rather long piece of plastic drew my attention to its presence as I pruned the holly back to prevent laceration as I worked. 

Mystery in the garden

The second discovery was on the holly leaves I had removed, where tiny almost smudges of white fibres were attached to the underside of the leaves.   So far I haven't been able to find out what they are, but my oracles are being tested as we speak.

Race for Life Update

Thanks for all those who have added more to our sponsorship - we are now at £571!

Dungness - 10th August

Wednesdays are always a highlight of the week, and this was no exception.   A day spent at one of Kent's premiere birdwatching sites - Dungeness.   On the way down the M20 we saw a buzzard which started our list off well.

Once at Dungeness we made our way onto the beach for some sea watching - although it was sunny the wind was strong and it was hard to view with binoculars let along telescope!   Gannet were feeding out to sea and within a few minutes we had seen a black tern flying low over the sea towards Rye.   Over the patch were more black tern, common tern, kittiwake and herring gull.   Cormorant were flying to and from the reserve and on the beach were more herring gull, little gull, and common gull.   Swift flew high above us.

Golden Plover

After a quick cup of tea at the railway cafe we moved to the ARC pits and the Hanson hide.   Here we found shoveler, teal, pochard, golden plover, dunlin, ringed plover, little ringed plover, tufted duck, cormorant, great crested grebe and much to Malcolm's surprise/annoyance/disbelief I found a goosander preening at the back of the pool.   A female marsh harrier swooped low over the fields beyond the pool which disturbed the birds somewhat but they all settled back down eventually.

Little Egret

On we took lunch before going for a circuit of the RSPB reserve.   Herring gull, lapwing, golden plover, coot, mute swan, cormorant and moorhen were the main birds seen with swallow, swift and house and large numbers of sand martin feeding above us.

More common sandpiper fed on the edge of the islands in the pools, and little egret stalked the edges too.   Over on Denge Marsh we failed to find the great white egret, but did spend some time watching and enjoying the common tern who had taken up residence on the tern rafts.   One pair had a juvenile and appeared to be encouraging it in short training flights off the raft.   Greylag geese, mute swan, grey heron, mallard and little grebe gave us a great show.

Common Tern with young

Finally it was time to make our way home after another great day out.

Oare - 9th August

My regular meeting with Ken from Essex for a day's birding brought him south to Kent this month, and as a keen photographer, it seemed sensible to aim for Oare where you can always get relatively close to the birds and if you time the tide and the sunlight right it should be possible to get some great shots.   Remember I'm talking about Ken here - my efforts are always a might amateur!

Golden Plover

With high tide on our arrival, we decided to concentrate on the pool first and catch the waders whilst they were still on the pool.   We were immediately rewarded with huge numbers of golden plover, most still with their summer plumage.   Dotted amongst them were dunlin, grey plover and some ringed plover.   The most numerous species was black-tailed godwit but as we moved along the reserve we noticed more ruff too.   A large group of avocet were taking up the centre of the pool, and lapwing and starling seemed to hold most of the land-based territory.  

Young Sedge Warbler

Before we reached the creek we found a family of sedge warblers in the bushes, with at least three juveniles, all making contact calls with their parents far less visible.   Young dunnock, a linnet family and little grebe added to our list as we moved onto the sea wall to scan through the huge mixed flock of waders.   Here, knot and little ringed plover were feeding, yellow wagtail flew between the creek side and the pool and house martin and swallow were taking advantage of the bugs over the water.

Redshank feeding

After an early lunch we decided to move on to Conyer creek, and although the tide by now was extremely low we found huge numbers of redshank, more black-headed gull, oystercatcher and lapwing on the marshy islands in the creek.   More house martin were feeding low over land and their noises were a delight to hear.

Two trips to Cliffe

Whitethroat

Our Wednesday walk on the 3rd August took us to Cliffe where there had recently been some interesting sightings - little stint, curlew sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit, wood sandpiper, green sandpiper and spotted redshank - to name but a few.   Armed with this information, we set off on what turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year.

Leaving our cars in the village car park we wandered down towards the reserve seeing house sparrow, wood pigeon, collared dove and heard a jay along the way.   The first pool gave great crested grebe, several little egret, an eclipse drake wigeon, ruff, redshank, lapwing, and many coot.   Along the track towards the black barn there were great tit, black-headed gull, starling, avocet, goldfinch, and as we continued along a kingfisher flew straight towards Sally and I and veered off over the fields at the last minute - leaving a memory of bright blue, rufous and bright white as it passed. 

Lichen on the sea wall

At the Black Barn pools there were more avocet along with black-tailed godwit and ringed plover.   A sedge warbler flew around in the reeds, as we identified greenshank and linnet nearby.   As we continued along the track towards the first viewing mound reed warbler and whitethroat were evident.   Whilst watching more linnet flying between the hawthorn bushes, we spotted a redstart - unfortunately not everyone saw the bird as it was hiding in the bush and left only its red tail bobbing before it flew off not to be seen again.

One of the Black Barn Pools

Keen to find a lunch-stop, we moved off the main track and utilised one of the farm tracks where the trees along the edge of the fields provided some much needed shade.   Little grebe, yellow wagtail, meadow pipit and kestrel were our main additions as we moved towards the sea wall.   From here we saw hobby, peregrine, green woodpecker, common tern and grey heron.

By now we were well and truly "warmed" so made a gentle return journey up to Cliffe village, finishing all our water supplies.   Back at the cars we shared the remining two bottles of water and then repaired to the pub for a cooling drink. 

Common Sandpiper

I returned to Cliffe Pools on Friday 5th August as it was the Gravesend RSPB Group's evening meeting venue.   With several new members we had 17 for the walk.   Our first views were of goldfinch, wood pigeon, cormorant, and house martin.   Over 20 great crested grebe were on the pool by the car park, along with lapwing and oystercatcher.   A couple of common sandpiper were feeding on the edge of the pool, common tern were diving for fish and pochard, starling, coot and little egret were all utilising the water and its surrounds.

As we moved along the Saxon Shore Way we spotted more little egret and also a group of about 7 common sandpiper.   Mallard, grey heron, more redshank, turnstone, ringed plover, great black-backed and lesser black-backed gull, greenshank, little grebe, over 100 black-tailed godwit, and a family of shelduck with 9 young were all present as we continued towards Cliffe Creek.   A kestrel hovered on the far side of the pool, a green woodpecker flew passed us calling as it went, and black-headed gull were moving to their roost site.   Just as one of our party was describing where kingfishers were often seen previously one of these brilliantly coloured birds flew out from the side of the pool and continued along the whole width of the water to finally disappear out of view.   Grey plover were also seen near the sea.

Sunset over Cliffe Creek

Our walk back along the side of the creek was uneventful, even though we were willing an owl to show.   All in all a great evening walk, with lots to see and enjoy.

Jamboree

Having spent the last few days trying to catch up with the Arctic Adventures saga I have somewhat neglected my more recent outings, and the first thing to catch up on was a weekend with some long-standing friends at Brooklands in Surrey and Cliveden near Taplow. 

Oak Galls with Acorn

On the Saturday we met at Brooklands - whilst waiting for it to open I took the opportunity to investigate the flora around the car park and found himalayan balsam amongst other plants, but also the pictured oak gall, alongside healthy looking acorns.   There was a green woodpecker calling but it remained out of view behind some large trees on the edge of Brooklands, there were also goldfinch, magpie and carrion crow.

G-BBDG

After we had planned our day we grabbed a coffee and set off towards the Concorde stand where we were treated to a guided tour of G-BBDG.   This was the aircraft used for all the testing and planning flights, around th world before Concorde went into full production.  Although only a walk-round it gave me an idea of what it would have been to fly on my dream aeroplane.

The London Bus Museum has also now resited to Brooklands as as one of my friends is a bus driver who used to drive in London, he was keen to look around.  Although it was not due to actually open until the Monday the staff very kindly allowed us a sneak preview.

After a wander around the rest of the displays, which included motorbikes, formula 1 cars through the ages and even pedal cycles - from penny farthings through to BMX and modern racing bikes, we decided to move on.

Smart Car Football

How convenient for the Mercedes fans in the group that we were next door to the Mercedes World building and we spent another couple of hours wandering through the displays of current models - none within my price range I hasten to add.   The track behind the building is used for driving experience events and you can watch the skid pan kids spinning about.   A highlight for me was watching SmartCarFootball.

The evening was spent at an excellent pub by the River Thames in Chertsey with great company, good food and a superb setting.

Day two of our jamboree weekend and we were joined by two other members of the group for a day at Cliveden.   A National Trust property this was the scene of the Profumo affair in the 60's (just a little before my time!) and although the house is now mainly used as a hotel, the grounds are lovely with woods, formal and less formal gardens all leading down to the river where we had a cruise in the afternoon.   Although the formal gardens were pretty I needed to do a butterfly count and I was surprised at how few there were given the number of flowers - presumably they prefer native plants.  

Stately Fountain

We safely negotiated the Maze (although Paul did have a bit of a hissy-fit at one stage) made a quick circuit of the rather fancy fountain and then made off for lunch.   After that it was time for our river cruise along the Thames, which was informative and relaxing.  Although kingfisher are sometimes seen we were not to be graced by them today.  We did however see grey heron, a family of great crested grebe with the youngsters showing their stripey heads.

The highlight for me (not surprisingly) were the family of red kite flying over a field at the side of the river.   The adults appeared to be training the youngsters in the art of swooping down onto the ground and then back up again.   Great to see.

After the river cruise, it was back up to the house for a quick tour of several rooms used by the hotel.   After a talk on the background of the house - this is the third one to be built on the land - and the families who have owned it, we moved into the restaurant which had previously been the main hall of the house.   A huge room with wood pannelling and old fashioned stately charm where the residents were taking cream teas.   We then moved on to the private dining room where much of the social scene which made the house so famous took place.   After we had enjoyed the delights of Cliveden it was time for dinner which we had at a local hostelry before we all dispersed to our various homes.

Arctic Adventure - Post script

Our journey

So, enduring thoughts of the trip?

Firstly, the lack of trees.   Nothing had prepared me for the lack of any sort of vegetation with height.   Not a bush or shrub, just lots of very low-lying minute plants.

Second; I really had not thought about the ice!   Silly I know, when you are going to the arctic, but I hadn't considered what it would be like to look across a sea of ice and see nothing else for miles.   The absolute fascination of watching the ship rip the icebergs apart and the ensuing domino effect as the water moves further bergs, the fish are disturbed and the birds come in for the fish - absolutely amazing and totally mesmerising - a great way to while the hours away.

Third; although I loved the polar bears, the walrus were the real hits of the trip for me.  They are huge, and fat and blubbery, but they are soooo cute, their faces are like large spaniels and their little nostrils just seem to accentuate their gorgeous faces.  The way that they interact makes me want to be a walrus!

Fourth; what can I say about our crew and expedition leaders?   Well apart from a huge thank you, it's hard to know where to stop heaping the compliments.  The way that they catered for our every need, and changed the itinerary depending on the weather, and interference of polar bears was seamless.   Enthusiastic, keen to help and impart their knowledge, nothing was too much trouble for all those involved.

Fifth, by no means the least important, a thank you to John, Jenny and Phil without whom I wouldn't have been asked to join the trip.

I write this just a couple of days after a young man has been killed by a polar bear in one of the areas we visited.   It just makes me realise how lucky we were to have the opportunity to see so many of these amazing wild creatures, but to do it in the complete safety of the boat, and with the care of our guides.  
Sad that the bear had to be killed, my thoughts are with all those concerned


The Antarctic Dream

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Arctic Adventure - Day 11

Little Auk territory

Breakfast done and a leaisurely farewell to the ship and crew.   Two buses took us from the ship half to the town and the rest of us to view the little auk colony just outside Longyearbyen - even though we are close to the town we still have to remain vigilant and stay within the perameters of the armed guides in case of polar bears.   The joke of the day was that as polar bears had already stopped us on three occasions, there would probably be one at the foot of the cliffs here too!

Waiting outside the nest

Luckily not, and after about 10 minutes in the bus we alighted for a 15 minute walk along the road and then straight up a scree slope.   The moss was thick and springy and the rocks were loose, but this is the favoured nesting site for little auk.  They nest in the gaps between the rocks.  Soon we were being watched by several hundred curious birds.  We ascended about a third of the way up the slope and then settled down to wait for the birds to come to us.   Unfortunately, as we were not all birdwatchers it was hard to get everyone to stay still and some insisted on standing up and moving about.   We did get great views and more fascinating were the lovely noises of these amazing birds flying low over our heads and burbling to each other as they waited outside their nest sites.   As they sat in front of us we could see their full crops ready to feed the young.

Little Auks fill the air

After about 2 hours we had to tear ourselves away and go back into town for some lunch - we chose to picnic outside in the town square.   I also purchased some salted liquorice - strange but oddly addictive.

The buses collected us at 1.00 pm to go to the airport and the flight back to Oslo via Tromso.   At Tromso we had to clear customs by getting all our lugggage, walking through to check-in, passing security and then back to our same seat on the same airplance - all very odd.

Eventually, back at the hotel at Oslo airport, John Jenny and I ate a last goodbye dinner at the hotel restaurant.   A lovely end to a great holiday.

Arctic Adventures - Day 10

Reindeer

Our last full day on the ship and quite a poignant day.   The weather seems to know that the expedition is almost at an end and is completely different to last night with wind, grey cloud, rain and a swell.

Our first potential landing side for little auks was scuppered by a mother a cub polar bear, so we retraced our journey back out of the fjord to another site.   Unfortunately there was a sleeping male at our second potential site and so we then moved on to plan E or F regarding little auk colonies, and were told to stand by for further news and instructions.   Heading out into open water another polar bear was spotted swimming away from us, this was a fat male and by far the heaviest of all the bears we have seen so far.

Our last walk

A new plan is formulated, and we are called to the conference suite for instructions.   We are moving to another site and have given up on little auk for today -  we aim to anchor just after lunch, (ice, weather and polar bears permitting of course!).   Whilst we travelled, the reality of the end of the trip is heralded by the paying of our ship bills.   A walrus made a brief appearance on a distant ice floe and whilst we watched that another was sighted in front of the ship, it stayed whilst we silenty snuck up on it and endless photographs were taken.   Two other more distant walrus were seen but they remained far away.

Svalbard Poppy

Lunch was fish and chips and at around 2.30 pm we dropped anchor and the zodiacs were launched for the last time so that we could walk on the tundra plains looking for geese.   We spotted lots of barnacle geese with 1 canada goose present, long-tailed duck and pink-footed geese.  As we watched a snow goose was seen with a group of distant barnacle.   As we stalked it reindeed grazed and I spotted another arctic fox running ahead (perhaps I should move from birds to mammals?!) of us carrying a gosling. 

Many flowers were seen today and we played catch up with lots of previously missed species.   Eventually, after traipsing across tundra bog and over polygon moraines, we returned to the ship around 6.45 pm.    The captain's farewell was set for 7 so a quick shower and off to the restaurant for everyone to thank each other for a successful trip.

The land of the Arctic Fox

Charlie (a crew member) had broken his hand early in our trip and sang a farewell to his colleagues "leaving on a jet plane" accompanied by another crew member on guitar.    Rinie, the Captain and the Hotel manager all made speeches in thanks for all staff and crew, not to mention the passengers for a great trip.  All quite emotional.

Tomorrow's plan is to leave the ship for the last time around 8.30 am, and to head for a little auk colony near Longyearbyen before we have to leave for the airport.

Arctic Adventures - Day 9



Cutting through the Ice

 The plan today was for two landings, one to a little auk colony and the second to a lake where whooper swan may have nested - if this is the case it would be a first for Svalbard.   Our expedition leader, Rinie had been asked to check on the status by ornithologists who had spotted the pair on what appeared to be a nest a few weeks earlier.

Unfortunately the ice was worse than expected this morning which not only slowed us down but also forced us to travel far wider to the west and south of the island that we intended to go.   At lunchtime we still had 60 miles to to and we were travelling through perennial ice which was far thicker than any we had met previously.   We hoped to anchor near the lake site at around 3.30 pm but hour plans had to change yet again when we still had 30 miles to go at 3.00 pm!   The weather had been incredible with cloud handing over the sea, mist and fog closing in, the clearing to reveal a mirror flat sea with fulmar flying only inches above the surface of the water and bright sunshine.  

Scaling the Ice cliff

We finally turned into a fjord at Bellsun - Van Keulenfjorden and anchored up around 6.00 pm, after another polar bear sighting.   We prepared for a zodiac landing and faced a steep but short cliff walk and then onto the by now usual springy tundra where Jenny found more new plants for our list.  

As the lakes came into view we saw lots of long-tailed duck, barnacle geese with young and a distinct lack of whooper swan.   On the tundra beyond were pink-footed geese, again with you and Rinie was just telling me that arctic fox look out for humans as any disturbance of the geese could give them an opportunity to strike at the young birds.   As he spoke I noticed a fox on the horizon in front of us and perilously close to the pink-foots.   We managed to get quite a few people on to it before it dipped down the bank away from us and out of sight.   As we continued to scan it re-appeared always moving away from us but stopping every few feet to check us out.   Having forced the geese into the fox's path by our presence we were relieved to have at least put the fox off for now.

Botanising & looking for Fox 

Most of the group manged to see it as it continued beyond another group of pink-foots, a few reindeer and up the mountain-side out of view.  

It was now time to return to the ship for our "surprise dinner" which was a BBQ and disco on deck.   As this was our last night at sea (the next being the trip back into Longyearbyen) the staff were keen to celebrate our successful expedition.   First we had to negotiate the short cliff onto the beach which was over a very slippy ice and snow section.   Although the first people walked carefully down the slope by the time it was my turn the only thing to do was sit down and slide.   A few had already done this and there was a slippery smooth surface to use.   Surprising how much fun you can have on such a small section of ice.

No Penguins in the Arctic?

The evening couldn't have been nicer with bright sunshine and clear skies.  As we were anchored up by a glacier the food came out and the disco started - surreal to hear pounding music in such a wild and beautiful environment.   Jenny and I escaped for a while to the top deck on the helipad with a mug of tea and sat and enjoyed the ambiance of such a wonderful place.   I felt totally in awe of the scale and beauty surrounding me, and thankful that I had been given the opportunity to visit.

After a while Jenny, John and I joined in the dancing until midnight when the obligatory "midnight sun" photographs had to be taken.  

Then it was off to bed at 1.00 am as we have a 7.00 am wake up call!

Arctic Adventure - Day 8

Reflections

Today's challenge is to finally see if we can be the first vessel to circumnavigate Spitsbergen this year and to do this we need to navigate between the two islands of Barentsoya and Edgeoya through the Sundbukta Freemansundei an icy strait which may not be thawed sufficiently for the ship to pass through.

Greater black-backed gull

As we breakfasted the weather was bright and calm - so calm in fact that fantastic reflections of the coastline and icebergs appeared in all directions.   As the ship created a bow-wave there are two reflections of the sun.   Nearing Edgeoya a polar bear is sighted but too far away for good views.   Several Brunnich's guillemot, kittiwakes, fulmar and seals are spotted as we enter the strait but in nowhere near the numbers previously seen.   Ice and water are constantly sucked back and forth in the strait and therefore the sea here is of little food value - hence the lack of visible wildlife.

After a warming coffee and comfort stop it's back to the bow for some more iceberg bashing.   As the day wears on and lunch time beckons we tentatively venture on towards Spitsbergen ahead of us.   Hopefully as the ice gets more solid there will be more scope for polar bear sightings!

Pomarine skua

The bird of the morning were two pomarine skua which gave us a couple passes before disappearing off into the distance, another unexpected sighting was a greater black-backed gull, not usually seen in this area.   During lunch we were disturbed by a couple of walrus and before we  had finished our post-lunch tea a bearded seal delighted us - lying out on an iceberg which floated by.

In the afternoon, our guide Rinie gave a lecture on Polar Bears then later we had an update on tomorrow's plan.   The latest ice chart shows that the ice we had expected today has actually moved south (hence our easy passing through the strait) and we should now pass through it tomorrow morning instead.   This means a re-working of tomorrow's landing for a little auk colony.  

Fulmar (blue morph)

The late afternoon was spend on deck trying to get a decent photograph of a flying fulmar - over 400 shots later and there was still room for improvement.   After dinner we passed a Russian ship only the third vessel we had seen during our trip.   We continued through impressive sea and landscapes.   The sunlight glowing on the ripples in the wake of the ship.   Went to bed at 10.30 pm, tired but thrilled at having passed through such amazing scenery, and a little sad as we only have three more nights on board our cruise.

Sunlight on the icebergs