Taste of summer

When the sun comes out so do the ice cream vans.

To large for the car park

Outside Portsmouth harbour too large to enter port off “Stokes Bay” is the USS George HW Bush,  The carrier  is the tenth and final ship of the Nimitz Class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. She houses a complement of 3,250 and 2,500 aircrew, her length is 332.9m and her width is 40.m  There is a capacity for about 80 aircraft.

 

Nelson’s Column (but not in London)

This is the original Nelson’s Column it is on Portsdown Hill,  north of Portsmouth where it overlooks the city and the dockyard. It was built between 1807-08 in the immediate aftermath of the battle of Trafalgar which took place in 1805. It was paid for by prize money and by a donation of two day’s pay by all who served on Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory at the battle.

Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square in London was completed as late as 1894.

my post

Oystercather’s use this post within Titchfield  Haven nature reserve while waiting for the tide to drop before going across the road to the shore.

This large, black and white wading bird. It has a long, orange-red bill and almost matching legs.

Dunkirk 2017 film

Those of you who follow my blogs may recall my blog below. When in August 2016 I was watching Spitfires and a ME109 flying around Southampton Water and off over the Isle of Wight.

https://andyfinneganblog.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/battle-of-britain-2016-aces-high/

After going to see the new the Dunkirk film today all became clear this planes were being used in the filming of this new film and I have reposted my pictures of these planes.

Dunkirk film trailer link

Movements

Military movements in Southampton Water.  Glad the sea was like a Millpond.

 

Running Take Off.

The Great Blacked Backed Gull is a large gull, the adult has a wingspan of up to 1.7 m (over 5ft !)

 

 

Balance

An industrial Sunset. The other side of Southampton Water from where many of my ship and nature picture on my blogs are taken is Fawley Refinery. At this time a balance between nature and man.

flying home

You never know what you are going to see when out and about. I spotted this chap letting his young pigeons out at Titchfield Haven for a training flight back to their loft in Gosport. He had over a few weeks moved further along the coast to push the birds flight range to get home.

Racing pigeons are descended from the wild Rock Dove. Pigeon racing became a popular sport of the masses in the early 1900’s,

The RAF carried pigeons on bombers in WW2. All RAF bombers and reconnaissance aircraft carried pigeons in watertight containers and, if the aircraft had to ditch, the plane’s position was sent back with the pigeon to its RAF base and a search and rescue operation was effected. Many aircrew lives were saved by these birds that flew often in extreme circumstances.

 

 

1,2,3.

A noisy chattering, bird , there is nothing else quite like these birds and most people know a Magpie even if bird watching is not their thing. Although most see the black and white but miss the blue.

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.