CommonMurre in the Harbour

With all the great Gull records from Dungeness I ventured again to Dover Harbour, hoping that something interesting had arrived with the cold snap.

There were very few gulls around and nothing on the old Hover port apron. One or two adult Kittiwakes were around, with this one settled on the water while two or three others patrolled along the pier.

I saw a couple of Guillemots, one right out in the middle in a flock of Black-headed Gulls and three Great Crested Grebes, and this one much close to the pier. This one is still in its winter plumage, others that were around last week had already acquired their summer look. In the USA these have the rather unattractive name of Common Murre, I'm not sure of the derivation, but would like to hear if you do.

Eventually one of the adult Kittiwakes came along and gave some good flight views. The wing tips are often described as looking as if they'd been dipped in black ink, and this shows the solid black tip well. The legs are also black, which distinguishes it from the only other member of its genus, the Red-legged Kittiwake, endemic to the Bering Sea and Aleutians.

Often birds take advantage of mans activities, and Turnstones are well known for their readiness to interact with fishermen. This one patrols the pier hoping for scraps from the few fishermen there. (I didn't see any fish caught today).

Back in St Margaret's I joined Jack and Flossie, who were watching a Fox dozing on the Leas. I was quite alert and slid quietly into the bushes when I tried to get closer. I think Flossie had caught the scent of the fox as she seemed quite interested in the area it had been sleeping on, but in the end settled for carrying a lump of wood about four foot long!

Flags Flying over Dover

Dover Castle the centre of Dover looked great in the afternoon light when we got back from Walthamstow. The light was exceptionally sharp and somehow it made the Castle even more imposing.

When I zoomed in for a close up I noticed that two flags were flying.

I don't know if this flag is some thing to do with the Lord Warden and Admiral of the Cinque Ports. The Lion is similar to the those on the Cinque Port coat of arms, but I'm not sure about the keys. I you know please leave a note.
The Lord Warden and Admiral of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle is Admiral the Lord Boyce, GCB, OBE, DL and he and I share the same birth date (day and year).

Arrested Speed

Sadly the Speed Ferry service from Dover to Boulogne seems to have run into trouble after "Speed Ferry One" was arrested in Boulogne for non payment of port fees.

The terminal at Dover is the old Hoverport and and this has become a favourite roosting site for Gulls.

Last year both Iceland and Glaucous appeared there on one day and the site if often used in the winter by roosting Purple Sandpipers. We were chatting about this at St Margaret's today and the consensus was that we should check the harbour more frequently than we do. I decided to have a look, as it's Sunday and it's possible to find free parking. This wasn't a good move, the only Gulls were Herring and Both Lesser and Greater Black-backs with a few Black-headed around, there were no Purple Sandpipers, or any other waders for that matter, and the harbour was just about devoid of any birds.

From the cafe on the end of the pier (nice cup of tea) you do get a view of the harbour wall. Again I could only find the expected Gulls and Cormorants, perhaps the day was just too calm for anything interesting to be around.

The fortress like nature of the harbour wall is quite impressive. I think the original harbour walls go back to the 16th Century and the harbour was rebuilt in the 19th Century, but I haven't researched the history of the current harbour, a project that will be worthwhile this winter.

I noticed the Balmoral was in port. It's quite an impressive looking cruise ship, but it looks a bit big and formal for my sort of holidays. The Professor multanovskiy that took us round Spitsbergen is more to my liking.

Lit up in Dover

Last night Dover was illuminated by a pyrotechnical display par excellence to celebrate the launch of the national Cultural Olympiad, the four years leading up to London 2012 promoting 'the best of British' culture to the world.

Pam and I joined the crowd that had gathered along the promenade to watch the show delivered by several boats in the harbour, and from the castle and the harbour walls.

The event was organised by the Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games - a partnership led and managed by Kent County Council's Sport, Leisure and Olympics Service. Partners and supporters for this event included Kent County Council's Arts Development Unit, Dover District Council, and Dover Pride with the substantial support of Arts Council England and Dover Harbour Board.

Below are a selection of my photos to try and give a flavour of the show. I have to admit to being more than a little pleased and surprised at just how good it was, well done to all involved.