Hot Town, summer in the city

(with apologies to 'Lovin Spoonful'!)

After getting sunburn while at sea the previous weekend it was clear that the warmer weather had arrived, but this week summer arrived with a vengeance. The local news station says that the 'official' definition of a heat wave is 3 days above 90 degrees. Well after two heat waves in a week its been rather sticky, especially as the humidity is increasing and the 'real feel' temperatures reach up to 100 degrees. Of course it can be very pleasant at first, and in small doses.

Driving into DC this morning, a vista known for its clear skies and attractive skyline, the effects of warm stagnant air were only too apparent with a yucky hazy air blurring the horizon. On the back on all this heat, we get the occasional spectacular thunderstorm and hopefully those forecast for tonight will help clear the air.

On one of the cooler evening last week, we spent the evening with the Alexandria Pipe and Drum Corps, with whom John, Chrystal's cube-mate from work, plays (first knees on the right in the picture). It was a fine evening in front on Alexandria City Hall , bedecked with a huge Stars & Stripes for Flag Day.
After we shared a drink in the local Irish pub, Pat Troy's (a sponsor of the Corps) --and another performance by the lads and lassies (acoustics not working quite as well in side and the twirling drumsticks all but lethal weapons in an enclosed and low ceiling space!), a fine evening was had by all.



By the way, thanks for all the Father's Day and Birthday wishes, rumour has it that I am being whisked off to a secret location for the weekend - watch this space :)

All at sea with Capt Brian....

Apologies for the delay in new postings but things have been busy with celebrating both of our 3rd Wedding anniversaries, and various activities at work and with studying.

While Chrystal continued the studying theme this last weekend, Rob took some time out and finally fulfilled an ambition and went to sea!

Driving down to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (a new state 'tick' for me) on Friday with my DC birding friend Tom Grahame, we checked in to the motel in 98 degree heat.
The nest morning, Tom apparently was awake already but I was woken at around 4:20am by a consequence of that heat, a large thunderstorm. Not quite what I wanted to hear!
It was not the time that worried me, I had set the alarms for 4:30 in any case, but I worried how the weather system might effect our day's activities.
Just over an hour later we were at the Hatteras Marina waiting to board the Stormy Petrel II (see here for details). The boat is a powerful 61 foot sport fishing boat - come birder-carrying transport that was to be our 'home for the next 12 hours.
As the thunderstorms retreated south, we eventually slipped our moorings and headed out of the marina, through the narrow gap between Hatteras and Ocracoke Island and straight into some significant swell. Not being the world's greatest sailor, I wondered how I would bear up but I enjoyed the rough sea and spray (good idea to wear the rain gear, despite it getting warm at 6:00 at the marina). Some of the other 12 passengers didn't cope quite so well...
A couple of hours and 30 odd miles ESE out of Hatteras, Capt Patterson cut the engines from full power and the hunt began.
Apart from the occasional distant sport fishing boat, we had long left any sign of other Homo sapiens behind. Out here the only Sargassum weed floats past and shows that we are truly in the warm Gulf Stream. The Sargassum flows with the Gulf up from the Caribbean and shows that we are in suitable habitat for some of our target species.
It was a wonderfully remote feeling and, after traveling 7 odd hours on Friday and maybe 3 hours out to see that morning, I was feeling fairly well traveled.
However, all things are relative as our first visitors would prove. One of the 'tricks' of the trade is to slowly drip fish oil onto the surface of the sea. We had spotted only a couple of odd distant birds on the way out, but within minutes of the fish oil coming out we were being followed by the days first Wilson's Storm-Petrels. These little birds are remarkable in many ways but on the subject of travel, they put our rather sedentry lives to shame. These birds are small, around 7.25 inches and just over one (1!!) ounce in weight (around 1.2). They breed DEEP in the Southern Ocean's Summer months and spend their southern winters wondering the northern oceans. They are supposedly the commonest sea bird in the world but this trip gave me my first good, up-close-and-personal look
While we were in the warm waters we were often accompanied by between two and ten birds off the stern.
At one point, they were joined by the faster more direct flying Leach's Petrel but the 'best' bird of the day came when rather ironically one of the three Brits on board picked out a European Storm-Petrel, a bird very rare on the eastern side of the Atlantic.
Other birds seen included both Great(er) and Cory's Shearwater, both at close quarters. The former however apparently has a penchant for Sharks livers and adding some to the fish oil brought them down on the sea, noisily squabbling amongst them selves, sometime described as bleating like a 'manic lamb'. The Great Shearwater also breeds in the southern oceans but Cory's breeds in and near the Mediterranean Sea, both again looking our 400 odd mile trip fairly wimpy!
Another tropical species - Audubon's Shearwater - specializes on the small crabs and fish that feed around the floating Sargassum weed.
Brian Patterson's trips off of Hatteras have become one of the best ways to see a particularly pelagic (ocean going) family of birds. Today was not the very best day for the birds as there had been an east wind for a day or so and many had probably moved a few miles further out to sea. The various species of Pterodroma (or Gadfly) Petrels are much prized by birders, mainly because there are so darn difficult to get to see! Despite the unfavorable weather conditions all was not lost on this front as we soon found the first - and in total eight - Black-capped Petrels. The one benefit of a windy day is that some of these birds, especially the Shearwaters and the Black-capped Petrels are the most magnificent flyers. On the way back to port, with the Boat at full speed, I watched a Great Shearwater overtake us with considerable ease. The Black-capped also have a wonderful roller-coaster like flight, rising high and then wheeling down towards the swell. It was a very sobering thought to realize that, even though we saw at least eight individuals, there is probably fewer than 1000 pairs left nesting mainly on Hispaniola. Haiti, which holds the majority of these, hardly has a great record for habitat and wildlife conservation :(
We headed back to shore and eventually got our land legs back (over dinner we were talking about how the world was still felt like it was rising and falling 15 feet or so). A leisurely drive back home on Sunday, including some birding at the very fine Pea Island NWR and we arriving, tired, sunburnt and amazed at the world just beyond the horizon.

Anyone who has followed the English Football Premiership this would have seen a fairly dismall season for Watford after the euphoria of last year's promotion to the top flight. It was a season of bad luck (top goal scorer getting injured and out for most of the season), missed opportunities (too many drawn games and near losses) and just being plain over-whelmed by the big clubs, ultimately outclassed by the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. We did have a splendid run in the FA Cup, getting to the semi-finals before falling to Man Utd again :(.
The Watford fans again did the club proud and despite the demise after 12 years of the BSaD fanzine site (read it's obituary here), the editorial team of Grant and Rowson kept us up to date with the shenanigans. Grant finished the season with this article 'Is it over yet?' including such prose as comparing the strike force as "the scything penetration of a month-old aubergine". The summary, apart from some forthright views of the commercialisation of the Premiership, can be neatly summarized by "That’s the story of the season: you could conjure up different endings in your imagination on so many occasions, feel that great rush of celebration almost as if it were real. But it never happened. It never came true."
So we are battered and bruised from a gruelling season but looking forward to next season already. Keep in mind then our opponents in Cardiff just a year ago. Leeds United, one of the historically great teams in the English game (remember the heyday of Revie, Grey, Bremner and Clough). They remained in the second tier league after Cardiff and had an equally dreadful season. They also had serious financial trouble and were taken into receivership before the end of the season ( see Relegated Leeds in administration). Fortunately it seems that they will have the cash injection that they need immediately but need to find some success if they are to maintain anything of their former glory. Pickings are kind of slim in 'League One' (League Division 3 to us old timers).


Even further down the food-chain of football, we come to Hendon. My dad and I used to regularly go to Hendon games when I was a kid and it was just the GREATEST thing. Long story and maybe the subject of another nostalgic post later. These small teams are seriously struggling and, with the club owner sadly passing away last year, the clubs future looks in doubt. It seems inevitable that the clubs ground at Claremont Road will be sold and they will have to share a ground with another local team. At one point this season the record was worse than both Watford AND Leeds! The team however pulled out all the stops and finished mid-table and safe. They will remain in the Ryman's League for next season. The following summary shows the contrast to the 'big leagues' "It was a gorgeous afternoon and the crowd of 417, swelled by a large contingent of visiting fans, was entertained although there were no goals. Hendon displayed the greater purpose, but Margate offered a more direct threat. That said, efforts on target were at a premium." See the club's website here.

Hendon at Claremont Road

So now it's the close season and the tension subsides until August. Ahhh kick back, relax, and watch Cricket and Baseball all summer....

Hiowa from Iowa!

Hello all! I apologize for my lack of response to the blog! It's a busy job trying to be a big kid....and you notice I say "trying"...as in working...and not getting paid! But no worries, I have plenty of money saved up for the end of July....do the words dirt track racing and beer tent bring a smile to your face :)
I just wanted to say hi and let you know I miss my favorite fake auntie and uncle!! Now here is a picture that will make you feel just all warm and fuzzy inside!
Much Love from Iowa!
Sunshine :)

A shrinking world

This weeks post starts with some of the wondrous / ingenious / gratuitous use of technology (delete as applicable per your own view). As most of you know we are great fans of both travel and birding. One aspect of travel is appreciating the local bird life (to the current author at least). Also given our appreciation of gadgets and teckie stuff we had fun with this site

In summary, you can control the camera, pan and zoom and finally take pictures. We've been trying to do a bit of photography lately with Chrystal's camera sometimes with the telescope (aka digiscoping) but we've never taken a picture at a distance of 2,800 miles before. Here's a shot of a Black-headed Grosbeak (can I 'tick' it now? ;-) ).



Talking of the shrinking world, this week saw the 55 year anniversary of the first commercial jet air service. Watch the video on this article
about the BOAC Comet service to South Africa, when Britain really was leading the world in aircraft manufacturing...







Last weekend, we finally made it to a Washington Nationals game with the benefits of some great tickets. Despite some somewhat inept pitching from the Nationals opener, the game went to extra innings at 2-2. Unfortunately that's where it all fell apart and the result was a 6-2 loss to the Mets. As you might be able to tell from the picture, it wasn't too warm either!!

Lastly, please give your thoughts and prayers for Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist abducted in Gaza in early March read the timeline of events here

Spring is Sprung

Happy Earth Day folks, let us hope that the hype that seems to have been attracted to it this year has some effect year long. Even if only at a state level, things seems to be changing here… lets hope so (however if the article in the Washington Post today is accurate, Karl Rove, the Presidents trusted (if tarnished) ‘advisor’ remain staunchly uninformed about global warming…)

This weekend the weather has been glorious. Yesterday Rob lead the first of two bird walks at Riverbend Park, ably assisted and encouraged by Chrystal. The migrants haven’t quite gotten over the cold weather but they have started to arrived and this morning we were watching Chrystal’s absolute favo(u)rite the Black & White Warbler at Monticello Park

We are both studying at present (Chrystal on Accounting and Business, me on, well, birds!) and this afternoon I had the not inconsiderable pleasure of ‘studying’ on our (nicely shaded) deck.

Along with learning about the detailed working of birds’ inner ear, I shared the afternoon with our local Downy Woodpecker (feeding about 8 feet away). This guy is about the size of a house sparrow, but disarmingly trusting of me sitting in our deck furniture with a G&T.

The Goldfinch’s have been feeding on the Thistle seed down below and the Northern Mockingbird followed the woodpecker to the suet block.

Talking of Gold, commiserations to our boys at Watford (aka the “Golden Boys”), and us the fans, after they failed to stay in the Premiership for next season, having managed only a draw with Manchester City at Vicarage Road yesterday.

For those that don't follow UK football (shame on you !), 'Our team', have been in the top flight of English Soccer this last winter season, but have struggled and will play in the 2nd tier next season (at least the arch-rival team - Luton - just got relegated to the third tier)

Things you didn't need to know #2

On our internal website at work we have a 'Campfire stories' section. This month's regards the most embarrassing experience as a Consultant. Here's mine

"Campfire Story Submissions
Rob Young

And so the big day came. After weeks of hard work, we were at ‘go-live’ day and I had the honor of doing the data conversion tasks and planned to be at the important customer site early.

I was even running ahead of schedule at home so had that extra cup of coffee before leaving the house for a leisurely drive into London. I promise I had planned for the usual delay on the A40 (one of the main arterial routes into town) and had even built in some contingency (like all good project plans, right?).

Long story short…. Something of a major accident on the way brought roads into west London to a stand still and, as my contingency came and went, I was faced with two rising problems…..

Firstly; the prospect of being late for the start of one of the most important meetings of my career to date. And secondly, well not to be too graphic, too much coffee and an endless traffic jam. (And no the A40 did not have a convenient McDonalds open at that time of the morning in those days…) And so I arrived at the client site ‘in a hurry’. Up to the third floor and straight into a convenient bathroom.

You know there are certain moments in consulting when things just aren’t right… panic over; I began to notice my surroundings better. For those of you that have never been in the ladies restroom there are some things that are missing and some other things that the men’s room will probably never have! That’s all I am saying.

I skulked away from the scene and managed a big smile and handshake for the Finance Director. It was a tough but successful day and just occasionally I thought I detected a smirk or two from passing employees.

Moral of the story, the perennial enemies of consulting are coffee (I am with you Anurag!) and traffic AND if you see me rush past you in the morning…cover me!"

Play Ball, the Big Apple, and Blue People...

Rhiannon's visits in early April coincide with the start of the baseball season and, for the third year running, we were able to catch a game while she was here. This year looked promising for a balmy night at the ol' ball game; you see, when we walked out of Dulles Airport on her arrival it was 84 degrees. However, D.C. in April being what it is, that soon changed as a rather impressive thunderstorm overnight brought a cold front through, and the temperatures sunk dramatically (as some of the following pictures will show). So, to use some baseball jargon, we're "batting .1000" or "we're 3 for 3" (years, that is) for baseball being played in a chilly wind. As the innings passed, the shadows lengthened...and as the sun dipped below the horizon the temperature also fell dramatically. We left the game a bit early, particularly since it wasn't looking too promising for our team. Maybe next time... The rest of Rhiannon's trip was decidedly cool and even snowed over the weekend. No suntan for the girl to show off back in Selsey :(


We spent a couple of days shopping and generally hanging about the house. Chrystal was treated to a yummy dinner upon her arrival home from work on Thursday night--Shepherd's pie, steamed veggies and brownies for dessert. The chefs had produced a bounty! On Friday we headed up to New York City for a couple of nights.


We travelled up by train arriving at Penn(sylvania) Station during mid afternoon. Being Easter weekend the train was crowded but we were soon at our hotel and trying to decide the best way to see as much as possible. We decided to brave the long queue at the Empire State Building and despite a lengthy wait and some significant remodelling going on, we were on the 86th floor to watch the sun setting over New Jersey. Oooooh, aaaaaahhhh...


An impressive sight for sure. A few short breaks were spent inside the observation tower away from the brisk wind and occasional flakes of snow. As the sun set the lights came on and eventually we headed down to visit Macy's and Times Square in its crazy, sparkling madness

Saturday we spent a lot of time on the tour bus, walked in Central Park and visited a part of Greenwich Village that is trying to establish a label of 'Little Britain'.

On Saturday evening we attended the 'off Broadway' show by the Blue Man Group. Fortunately(!) we had been able to get seats in the second row, even though it was only a small 300 seat theatre, a rare treat. It was QUITE a show including the 'audience participation' skits, featuring at one point, the guy sitting in row two (oh yes, that would be Rob!!)


Back home to Alexandria Sunday night, and one final day of shopping with Chrystal on Monday. Then the ladies picked me up at my office on the way to the airport and we had to say goodbye to Rhiannon (always the worst part of the visit) :'(

All change in the 'hood

The past week has seen visible migration at long last....and this time, we're not talking about birds (although we may stretch the metaphor a little further...)
Our mid-western friend (and pseudo-niece), Lisa finally had enough of DC and moved back home - actually, she successfully completed her three month clinical at the National Rehab hospital and is off to Iowa City for the next 12 weeks - congratulations Lisa. Trust us, it will be better doing all that hard work when you receive a salary as well! (and BTW your excess luggage is 'in the mail'...).
As (we expect) those back home in Iowa did, we threw her a sumptuous farewell evening including having Japanese food thrown at her (at the local Hibachi restaurant) and then - surely the highlight of any visit - topped it off with a visit to the 'Pizza Box', our local drinking establishment. (Pictures of Lisa dancing with 'Uncle Jack' available on request....)



Other transient visitors to the neighborhood included former residents Bill & Sylvi and their family, Silke, William, Kristin and Laure. Also joining a riotous (!) Sunday lunch were Kim, Chip and Olivia (with sassy pink cowboy boots no less).

It was great to see everyone and we look forward to many more get-togethers (here in DC, in Pennsylvania or even perhaps Washington state).








Which bring us to April and our annual royal visitor. April Fools Day saw Rhiannon's 15th birthday and today she arrived, courtesy of Virgin Atlantic (and, more impressively, Elliott drove his sister to the airport). The weather is FANTASTIC today - warm and sunny. However it looks like that will break tonight :( and Rhiannon will struggle to get that suntan she wants. Nevertheless we got a bunch of things planned that hopefully won't be spoiled by the weather. Watch this space.....

15 Minutes of fame - with Subtitles (名声の15 分 and 15 Minuten Ruhm)

So this is going to sound JUST a touch geeky.... but as we were (sort of..) in the area and it was the first visit from the new A380 to Dulles, we thought a quick trip to the airport would be in order.

Dulles (and Airbus and Lufthansa) didn't exactly make it easy - not publishing the arrival time ("sometime after 9" was the best we could find). Eventually I found that the plane would be arriving just after EIGHT (55 minutes away and 50 minutes drive away).

Anyway, long story short - drove to Airport, went up to the top of the car parking (with stories to Lisa about "this is where the Snowy Owl was.."), park, got out, one BIG plane immediately landed right on the runway next to us.

It's certainly an impressive machine and there was a small crowd had gathered to take a look.

Which brings me to our subtitles.... There were a couple of Television crews there.

First we were approached by the Japanese crew (TV 乗組員) which Lisa neatly sidestepped and directed them to me (:O - my only previous experience of "being on the telly" was the ultimately edited-out Blue Peter session in 1967).

So we were laughing about that and returning to the car when the German TV crew invited me ("and zee whole family!") to be interviewed.


After all those nice words I think we're owed a tour (I wish!)




For our fellow travellers who like big planes here's an impressive Airbus video - ahhhhh one day :)

St Patrick's Day at our house

The first two pictures kind of sum up the gathering on Saturday (and yes that IS Jameson, Harp, Murphy's AND Guinness behind the sobering Irish Coffee).

The food table had a stock of traditional Irish Brie and Swiss Cheese (!) but the Corned Beef (yet to arrive, in the picture...) lent authenticity to the fare.




With Celtic Music on the stereo and Irish flags on the flag pole (and elsewhere!) the party was underway.

Jerilyn and Allie easily won the prize for most enthusiastic personal adornment





A house full of victims (aka friends,old and new) joined the celebrations including Derek and Levi - in town from Iowa for the weekend and seen here with Deanna - and Pat 'Chickie' Boylan - posing with Lisa and Rob.

Despite the implications from top photograph, on Sunday morning the flag wearing young ladies were off to the airport at dawn, the Iowa contingent were out impressively early to do the tourist rounds of DC and Chrystal & Rob were off birding in a bracing (damn cold!) wind

UK Trip - part 3

The final leg of our UK trip was a long talked about weekend in Norfolk with Jack and Paula. Being the tourists, we arrived back from Dublin at 10 and took a leisurely drive up to the cottage at Burnham Overy.
Poor Jack and Paula had to work and so left Watford for the 3-4 hour drive around 5. By this time of course the weather had deteriorated to hard driving rain for their journey. Not only that but Jack then enthusiastically cooked a pasta Dinner....


Here's the mill just outside Burnham Overy on the coast road that most of the best birding sites are nearby and up and down we drove for much of the weekend.
Pre-Breakfast on Saturday Jack and I headed for Titchwell (in the rain...), but the weather cleared and after bacon and eggs we had rendezvous with some more old friends.


As the expressions here show, the wind whipping off the North Sea was cold but we spend the morning with Gary Elton (ex of South Oxhey, Jack's partner in Birding London, and the serious birder here actually LOOKING at the sea) and David Russell (Jack and my co-author on the Tring Book, and without gloves). Both Gary and David are resident in Norfolk so we had plenty of good local information about the whereabouts of local specialities (some of which cooperated and some of which didn't....)

One species that wasan't where it 'should' have been the first few times was the local Little Owl. Revisiting the tree on Sunday, Jack picked out a very obscured bird. We were looking at the top of the birds head (all that was visible initially) when a second bird perched in the tree giving wonderful views, Chrystal's first Little Owl.


Norfolk has a healthy Barn Owl population and we saw three of this increasingly rare species in the south of England.
We walked in Holkham Park, had a pleasant pub lunch (from a somewhat bizarre 'lunch menu') and visited Cley.
As often the case, we overspent our birding time budget and only just managed to find some meat for Sunday lunch in a rapidly 'closing for the evening' Holt. In the event Sunday lunch was a wonderful Pork roast. Before lunch Jack, Chrystal and I birded locally, finding the owls and some other species including a field of Pink-footed Geese.
Jack and Paula left in (again!) deteriorating weather for their journey south on Sunday.
On Monday Chrystal and I had another calm drive down to Heathrow ready for our flight home on Tuesday
It had been 'spring' in the UK. Birds were singing and displaying (including bizarrely Great-crested Grebe displaying on the sea).
The flight captain announced a temperature beneath freezing point back at Dulles. Overnight it snowed a couple of inches. During the following week the temperature here was 81 degrees and now its back down to 29 degrees (and ice/snow/freezing rain or something / everything in between...)


Still spring birds have arrived here too although goodness knows what the insect eaters will find to eat for a few weeks

Catching up, Part 2 - Dublin

Here are some of our Dublin pictures from our week in the Irish Capital.

Highlights included Chrystal's first (and many subsequent) Guinness, our Ulysses walk around the streets of Dublin, the highly recommended Guinness tour and many historical sites around the city (The Gaol, Croke Park [DESPITE the Rugby result a few days previous], Ha'penny Bridge, the Post Office etc).
Walking is always the best way to see a new city although we cheated with taxi when we ran out of stream or the weather threatened. However we did spend most of Tuesday following a walk that Chrystal had downloaded to her iPod, following the route of Leopold Bloom around the city.

It rained a bit (actually quite a lot, one day in particular!!) but but we had a BLAST! of a time.

Our traditional Irish fare consisted of Curry, home-made chicken pie (thanks to our friends Dervela and James), Indonesian and finally some (Irish traditional) Boxty, and of course many Guinness.

We never did make it out of the city - the suggested trip to the mountains started too early (for this is a town where breakfast is served until 11! :) ) and we were taking it easy this week. Maybe we'll do the grand tour next time...

SLAINTE!

Playing catch up.... Part 1

Having been away for the best part of two weeks we've slipped a little behind and have a bit to catch up on.
So here's the first instalment of our trip.
The first leg of our UK trip was the big surprise 18th birthday party that had been planned and arranged by June, Rhiannon and Robyn for months and somehow kept largely concealed from a puzzled Elliott. So Family and Friends gathered at Selsey Village hall ready to greet the victim as we drove, supposedly to a celebration dinner. The first picture is of Elliott 'in the spotlight'.




We'll post many more pictures soon but here are a couple of shots, firstly of the 'Coconut Princesses ' (Rhiannon and her friends Emily, Kiera and Sarah) after watching too many movies and secondly some of the 'catering'

Wayyyyy out west

OK maybe not WAY out west but on Sunday we headed out to the panhandle of West Virgina and up into the mountains.

We were visiting Dee and Ray in their splendid self-build Log-cabin house a couple of hours west of DC (including this amazing fire pit in the center of the lounge).














This visit included some neighborly assist to Brian from whose kitchen Lisa can be seen admiring the view down to the valley to the South