KenM
Well-known member
April 26th early 70's, found me trudging round the KGV reservoirs N.E. London, during a particularly heavy downpour, having been enticed out earlier by bright clear conditions, which lasted until I was at the furthest point from shelter "the car"..circa 2.5 miles away. When the heavens opened, prompting me to "leg-it" in Wellington boots, anorak with scope/tripod and bins swinging around respective shoulders, and "afeared" to look at the exit fence (c1.5 miles away) just thinking head down and go for it. At the half way point my lungs were on fire (I was a fit boy then!) and I was saturated, such was the precipitation I thought I should have brought my "snorkel"...when I looked up! and saw a blurred shape descending out of the morass, it was circling as it came down, "what the hell's that?" I cried! Swiftly taking out my non-waterproof bins (got soaked in seconds)...Christ I exclaimed!...an adult Arctic Skua eyeballing me from just 20 metres. In that brief moment the acute dampness just evaporated, as I savoured the spectacle, before it soared back up, and disappeared into the gloom...ne'r to be seen again. (quite rare in Spring within the LNHS recording area).
What's yours.....?
What's yours.....?
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