Saturday, 28 May 2016

SATURDAY CRITTERS - Gobbins (Part 6)

As we were mainly a bird group we asked George, our guide if we could spend more time looking at the main colony of birds that we found at the end of our Gobbins walk.  There were Razorbill, Common Guillemot, Shag, Kittiwake,
Common Guillemot, Shag nesting and Cormorant flying by.  


 Razorbill.




Common Guillemot


Common Guillemot and Shag





Common Guillemot and Kittiwake






Puffin


This memorial that you see here was erected by friends of the deceased to commemorate "The Pickie Boys," a group of, Queens University Belfast, students who rented Burnside cottage near Woodside's farm above us during Easter and summer holidays. 

The group included Walter Newell a highly accomplished rugby player and his friend Billy Edwards. These two amongst others described how they loved spending glorious summers in the Gobbins and Islandmagee. Sadly Lance Corporal Newell was killed in action in 1915 serving with the Black watch regiment along with his two brothers. Capt. Billy Edwards also died, killed in action in 1917. The monument was erected in fond memory of "The Pickie Boys," shortly after the war.


These are a few of the properties I saw 
on our way up the last big climb
 to our waiting bus.  


CLICK HERE if the video does not appear below.  



I have only one more photograph to show you and that will be on tomorrow's post as we reach the top again and join the bus. All the past Gobbins links will be on that post.

I am linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

However, I would like to thank all of you who came on this walk with us.

Now on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, we are off walking again however this time it will be very leisurely, on the level and very beautiful.  In fact, I have made 3 videos from the walk I did last week round Mount Stewart lake.  You do not want to miss it.

Many thanks for joining me on the Gobbins walk and to all those who leave comments.

30 comments:

  1. Thank you so much.
    I am pretty certain I could not have managed that walk, so I am very grateful to have been taken with you.

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  2. Good Morning!:) Excellent shots of all the seabirds. Enjoy your weekend.

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  3. It has been a fantastic tour, Margaret & worth the walk! Great photos of all the birds especially the puffin!

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  4. Hoping to catch up with a few of these next weekend! Please organise nice weather!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne (airport)

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  5. Wonderful shots Margaret, I also like the buildings.

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  6. That must have been a lovely relaxing day Margaret. A tragic story about the Pickle Boys but what a lvely place for them to rest in peace.

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  7. Hello Margaret, wonderful post on the birds and the Gobbins. The Razorbill and Puffin are on my most want to see list. Great series of birds and photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Have a happy weekend!

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  8. oh how I would love to be staying in one of those cottages. Birding must be a fascinating pasttime. I'm often frustrated my long lens is no where near long enough. Have a lovely week ahead, and thank you so much for stopping by my blog last week.

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  9. Love where the memorial for The Pickie Boys is, overlooking the sea.. seems most fitting! The homesteads you pictured look like they were built to withstand the worst of weather :) Thanks Margaret, another very enjoyable walk.. how cute are the puffins :)

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  10. a beautiful place for a walk, very pretty captures!!!

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  11. Such an interesting place with an array of birds. Loved seeing the puffin there at the end.

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  12. Wow! Gorgeous critters here today and magnificent photography ~

    Happy Weekend to you ~ ^_^

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  13. The Razorbills are fine looking birds, but I've alway had a soft spot for Puffins and like that photo.

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  14. Of course I must ask why they were called " The Pickle Boys"? We have no birds like this at all! The Razorbill is especially very interesting to me. Your shot of the long white house with the red door on the very green lawn is superb, beautiful! And of course you included my favorite, a Puffin!!!

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    1. Ginny As far as I know, Pickle was and stil is an area in my town near the sea front and there used to be an outside large swimming pool there that everyoe used to go adn learn to swim at. It hd very tall diving boards as well Theese boys I think came rom this area.

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  15. This is a marvelous collection of birds, buildings, and Pickle Boys. I especially enjoyed the Razorbills. Good stuff!

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  16. the razorbills and guillemots are so cool.

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  17. I've never heard of a Razorbill, very classy looking!

    I liked your video, too.
    ~

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  18. Wow - you saw a lot of birds! How nice that your guide allowed extra time to observe and photograph them.

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  19. Beautiful birds.Thanks for sharing these birds.

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  20. I like puffins very much.
    And you took it so beautifully.

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  21. How lovely photos ofthese birds.

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  22. beautiful images! I would love to see puffins in their natural habitat! it was very interesting reading about the 'pickie boys'... my marries name is Newall...

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  23. just spotted I wrote marries... meant to write married...

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  24. How neat! Some of them look like they want to be penquins when they grow up! heehee! My youngest son and his family went to Iceland and guess what they saw? Puffins! I was so thrilled to get some photos and I thought of you. I love them! Hugs, Diane

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  25. Beautiful birds all of them :) Love the Razorbill. :)

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  26. Great captures of the birds! That is a nice memorial for the young men.

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  27. That video is excellent! The survival strategies of these birds is amazing.

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  28. What a great walk with lots of wonderful birds to see.

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