Good Sailors!

[Twitcheruth]

My son has recently returned from a holiday in Dublin,sailing via Holyhead and has been telling me about how great it was to see Gannets diving in the middle of the Irish Sea with no land in sight!
My neighbours have also just returned from a holiday,theirs being to New York.They returned on the Queen Mary and were telling me about seeing Arctic Terns and Manx Shearwaters when they were 3 days out of New York,basically right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!!
Aren't birds brilliant!!!!

[JONNY74]

Superb Ruth. They can be really fascinating sometimes can't they. I suppose when you think about it, as long as there is food and the sea on which to have a rest you wouldn't need much else.

[Merlin]

Aren't Birds Brilliant !!!
From one of my old books (not quite as PC as we are today) "Bird Behaviour" by John Sparks
"Manx Shearwaters taken from their nesting burrows on the island of Skokholm, Wales, and released as far as 3,050 miles away in Boston USA found their way back within such a short time that random search by the birds could be ruled out. On being released, they must have known where they were in relation to their breeding site"

[Twitcheruth]

Thanks Jonny,yes it seems such an inhospitable spot to us but as you say the sea is all they need!
A great bit of Shearwater info Merlin,thanks!

[rebeltern]

Hi everyone,
I live a bit inland, a river valley, but grew up by the Atlantic. My father used to take me out to the Sovreign islands, rocks really, but wonderful birdlife, and all around the coast and out beyond. He has been dead a year now, and I long so much for the sea spray, company and pure pleasure of spotting birds together (useless at the gulls! but we tried!). I can nearly touch the memory. The sea, the sea.

[Twitcheruth]

Originally Posted by rebeltern

Hi everyone,
I live a bit inland, a river valley, but grew up by the Atlantic. My father used to take me out to the Sovreign islands, rocks really, but wonderful birdlife, and all around the coast and out beyond. He has been dead a year now, and I long so much for the sea spray, company and pure pleasure of spotting birds together (useless at the gulls! but we tried!). I can nearly touch the memory. The sea, the sea.

Nice thoughts Rebeltern.....the sea evokes wonderful memories doesn't it.

[rebeltern]

It does.