Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

This is a beauty, & it cheers me immensely to see the ingenuity of animals seeking food. This is a polar bear, on a cliff, trying to feed on birds eggs.

 

[tikay]

It was minus 14c when I got home 3am Saturday, & it was minus 11c at 10am yesterday, driving up through the Home Counties to the Midlands.

This bitter weather is right across Europe, but is expected to pass by midweek. I'm sure many old peeps are suffering badly.

[tikay]

Extraordinary photo!

This, I believe, was at a Tu Bishvat, which I now gather is a Jewish holiday.

See.......   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_Bishvat

[tikay]

He has not even flinched, or closed his eye, which one would think was the instinctive thing to do.

Hard buggers these boxer chaps.

[tikay]

This is a White tailed eagle, & they seem to be prolific in Norway - how great would it be to see these things in real life?

Bit annoying really. I discovred only a few days ago that Iceland is a very good "whale-watching" destination, which came as a shock to me, & I was about to click the button & book a 2 or 3 day trip to go look for myself. (£400, all trips & hotel included). Now I have to decide between Eagles in Norway, or Whales in Iceland. WAL.

http://www.randburg.com/is/whales-around-iceland/index.asp

http://www.randburg.com/is/tourism/whale.html

[Claw75]

This is a White tailed eagle, & they seem to be prolific in Norway - how great would it be to see these things in real life?

Bit annoying really. I discovred only a few days ago that Iceland is a very good "whale-watching" destination, which came as a shock to me, & I was about to click the button & book a 2 or 3 day trip to go look for myself. (£400, all trips & hotel included). Now I have to decide between Eagles in Norway, or Whales in Iceland. WAL.

http://www.randburg.com/is/whales-around-iceland/index.asp

http://www.randburg.com/is/tourism/whale.html

why do you have to decide?  do both!

[tikay]

This is a genuine emerald. What is it worth, once cut, anyone know?

[Claw75]

This is a genuine emerald. What is it worth, once cut, anyone know?

quite a lot.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say £100+

[tikay]

Think Tom may have uploaded this one recently, but a terrific photo. What strange birds pheasants are.

[tikay]

So, well done Jeff, thanks for those, & keep them coming, everyone, please, I never tire of good photos, or even Tom's photos.

Talking of Tom, as his Diary seems to have become birdwatchers paradise, & everyone is posting photos of eagles or whatever nibbling peanuts at the feeder in their back garden, (I'm not jealous, honest), here's a RedBellied Woodpecker I happened to spot in my back garden today. Eat your heart out the Sporadic Bonfire boyz. Camera? Yeah, Nikon 27Z, with 273/38 lens, & a 19zbigeffu memory card.

[RED-DOG]

In Canada were we?

[Rod Paradise]

This is a White tailed eagle, & they seem to be prolific in Norway - how great would it be to see these things in real life?

Bit annoying really. I discovred only a few days ago that Iceland is a very good "whale-watching" destination, which came as a shock to me, & I was about to click the button & book a 2 or 3 day trip to go look for myself. (£400, all trips & hotel included). Now I have to decide between Eagles in Norway, or Whales in Iceland. WAL.

http://www.randburg.com/is/whales-around-iceland/index.asp

http://www.randburg.com/is/tourism/whale.html

You get them in Scotland as well Tikay - when you're up the West Coast again go to some of the islands and you've a fair chance of seeing them. They're known as 'Flying Barn Doors' so you won't mistake them if you do.

There was a plan to reintroduce them in East Anglia (a traditional home for the fish eagle) - but too much NIMBYism & scare stories blocked it

[pokerfan]

Had a trip to the Royal Armouries yesterday, one of the standout exhibits  to me was the whaling harpoon. Can't really explain why, maybe the size of the thing or its use, just a shame its virtually impossible to get a photo of.
(similar to this)

[Rod Paradise]

In Canada were we?

If not he'll have twitchers all descending on him.

[Rod Paradise]

Had a trip to the Royal Armouries yesterday, one of the standout exhibits  to me was the whaling harpoon. Can't really explain why, maybe the size of the thing or its use, just a shame its virtually impossible to get a photo of.
(similar to this)

My favourite museum. Had a year's pass to it when I was contracting in Wakefield.  The sword fighting demonstrators there are the best I've seen anywhere, even more impressive was them allowing the audience to stay and watch them coming up with a new fight routine - talking through the moves etc. I was fascinated - sat there for about an hour.