Category Archives: Islands

The XX – Islands (cover) by Daniela Andrade – Video

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04-04-2012 08:13 I was messing around with this song a few weeks ago and posted a short clip of it on tumblr. Handful of you wanted me to finish this endeavour, so here it is : ) Window Sessions ftw : D Credit to Jeff Kwok for all things good in this video; camera work/editting. Go like his fb page! (peer pressure) http & follow him on twitter! (peer pressure again) http More EP talk soon! I promise! Thanks for being ever patient with me, I love you guys from the bottom of my heart. -D

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The XX - Islands (cover) by Daniela Andrade - Video

St John’s Head BASE Jump, Island of Hoy, Orkney – Video

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10-04-2012 16:14 This was the first BASE jump off St John's Head by Simon Brentford and maybe the first UK slider-up cliff jump at 1125ft. Filmed and edited by Adam Bibby. Apologies for the dirt on the inside of the camera lens, unfortunate camera mal! Track Artist: Arty vs. Reflekt feat. Delline Bass Title: Hope vs. Need To Feel Loved (Above & Beyond Mashup)

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St John's Head BASE Jump, Island of Hoy, Orkney - Video

Poptropica – Twisted Thicket Island Walkthrough Part 1 – Video

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12-04-2012 15:32 - Part 1 of the complete walkthrough for Poptropica Twisted Thicket Island. In this island A quiet seaside village has been attacked by mysterious beings that dwell nearby. You are chosen to enter the dark woods and confront the creatures. But beyond the forest's edge lies a world of magic and danger, where the only thing more twisted than the tree trunks is the truth. This video contains all of the cheats, secrets and tips for Poptropica Twisted Thicket Island.

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Poptropica - Twisted Thicket Island Walkthrough Part 1 - Video

Poptropica – Twisted Thicket Island Walkthrough Part 2 – Video

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12-04-2012 16:33 - Part 2 of the complete walkthrough for Poptropica Twisted Thicket Island. In this island A quiet seaside village has been attacked by mysterious beings that dwell nearby. You are chosen to enter the dark woods and confront the creatures. But beyond the forest's edge lies a world of magic and danger, where the only thing more twisted than the tree trunks is the truth. This video contains all of the cheats, secrets and tips for Poptropica Twisted Thicket Island.

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Poptropica - Twisted Thicket Island Walkthrough Part 2 - Video

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker – Set Sail To Dragon Roost Island! – Episode 7 – Video

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27-04-2012 21:11 With the continuing horrific accent leading us to yet another heart piece reward through battleships and the Island combed for anything of interest, it's time to finally set sail on the high sea's to the next destination of our adventure! Following the wind, we quickly bump into some interesting area's in the sea, with watch towers and islands along the way to explore, gaining us our first full heart container of the playthrough! With only a short journey left, we sail up to the location of our first dungeon, our first quest, Dragon Roost Island, finally picking up the item the game is named for, The Wind Waker!

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The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker - Set Sail To Dragon Roost Island! - Episode 7 - Video

Diageo USVI Celebrates Grand Opening of Captain Morgan Visitor Center in St. Croix

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ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo USVI, the Virgin Islands' newest rum distiller, today announced the grand opening of its state-of-the-art Captain Morgan Visitor Center. Honorable Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. spoke at the milestone ceremony, along with David Gosnell, President, Diageo Global Supply and David Cutter, Chairman of the Board of Diageo USVI. Also in attendance were members of the Governors Cabinet, Honorable Sen. President Ronald E. Russell, and members of the 29th Legislature.

The Captain Morgan Visitor Center is a central part of several tourist initiatives on the island of St. Croix. As part of the Visitor Center initiative, Diageo USVI is working closely with local taxi and tour companies, cruise ships, airlines and hotels to help generate tourist traffic to the island.

Remarking on the completion of the Visitor Center, Governor de Jongh said, "Today's grand opening continues to usher in a new era for St. Croix. This new attraction has already created additional employment opportunities and will undoubtedly augment the island's tourism industry. The distillery and its new Visitor Center demonstrate the strength of the ongoing relationship between Diageo and the US Virgin Islands."

US Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress, Donna Christensen, who was not able to attend the event due to her obligations in Washington, DC, added: "The opening of the Captain Morgan Visitor Center exemplifies the strong and ongoing commitment between Diageo and the people of the US Virgin Islands. Virgin Islanders and tourists alike will continue to enjoy the benefits of this groundbreaking partnership for years to come."

To mark the official grand opening of the Visitor Center, Captain Morgan and the Morganettes conducted a ribbon slashing ceremony at the site with the Captain's own sword. Attendees toasted the opening with Captain Morgan rum punch to celebrate the day, followed by a guided tour of the facility.

Remarking on the day, David Gosnell, President, Global Supply and Procurement, said, "The distillery and Visitor Center is a jewel in the crown of Diageo's facilities worldwide. We couldn't be more pleased with our progress and are honored to work with St. Croix on this exciting endeavor."

The state of the art Visitor Center, adjacent to the distillery, which produces the rum for the Captain Morgan brand in the United States, is located at the Renaissance Park development on St. Croix and is the first of its kind. Visitors will experience an hour long voyage including history and artifacts of the rum industry, tour of the distillery, a movie theater, interactive learning screens, Captain Quarters Bar, multi-sensory systems, and a Captain Morgan merchandise store.

ABOUT DIAGEO USVI

In June 2008, Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. and Diageo USVI jointly announced a public-private initiative for the construction and operation of a high capacity rum distillery on St. Croix, USVI. This 30-year commitment will provide a major economic stimulus for the entire Territory of the US Virgin Islands.

Today, all the rum used to make Captain Morgan branded products for the US market comes from the US Virgin Islands thanks to the innovative public-private initiative between the Government of the US Virgin Islands and Diageo USVI. Captain Morgan is a global leader among premium spirits and is the second leading rum in the world.

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Diageo USVI Celebrates Grand Opening of Captain Morgan Visitor Center in St. Croix

Islands High students get 'sciencey'

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Science class at Islands High school is cool.

We get to go to the beach every other Friday and do research, said sophomore Gracie Bowden.

Students in the Research II class at the new science-themed high school said they get unique opportunities to further their interests in science.

Im doing research with barnacles like how quickly they come back, said Lucas Maurer.

Tuesday they spent the day cruising the Wilmington River and Wassaw Sound with Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary Operations and Education Staff. They tested the water quality at various depths for pH, salinity, turbidity and dissolved oxygen using the same tools and equipment at professional research scientists, and they studied the estuarine organisms they collected in an otter trawl.

Its a nice little intro to field work for budding marine biologists, said Grays Reef Marine Operations Coordinator Todd Recicar.

Grays Reef conducted five education cruises for Islands high this year.

The water were sampling in the Wilmington River and Wassaw Sound will eventually work its way to Grays Reef and other offshore habitats, said Grays Reef Education Coordinator Cathy Sakas. This is experiential education at its best.

As the students familiarized themselves with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel they were sailing in, Jacob Parmerter volunteered to try on one of the ships cold-water immersion suits.

Parmerter said he and his classmates enrolled in the science theme high school because of their interest in the sciences, and opportunities such as Tuesdays research cruise engage them all the more.

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Islands High students get 'sciencey'

Chinese plans to tour disputed islands may increase tensions with Vietnam

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BEIJING A Chinese provincial official said Tuesday he's determined to start tourism development in the disputed Paracel Islands this year, a move that could further raise tensions with rival claimant Vietnam.

Hainan Vice Governor Tan Li said he is preparing to take tourists to the archipelago, about 220 miles southwest of Hainan and about the same distance from Vietnam's coast.

Tan gave no details, although the provincial tourism authority has previously organized at least one tourist regatta to the islands.

China ejected forces of the former South Vietnam from the Paracels in 1974, but Vietnam insists the islands are part of its territory. They are one of several island groups in the South China Sea that are claimed by China and other governments. They lie amid crucial international shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and what are thought to be potentially abundant oil and gas reserves.

Opening the islands to tourism would shore up China's claims of sovereignty. Beijing announced plans for development in 2009 that were met with immediate protests by Vietnam.

China's assertiveness over its South China Sea territorial claims has prompted a strong backlash in recent years, and Beijing sought to repair the damage beginning last year by exchanging high-level visits with Vietnam and agreeing to establish a hotline between them.

That seemed to have quieted the situation, although tensions have since flared with the Philippines in another contested area of the South China Sea, resulting in a tense, two-week-old high seas standoff over the Scarborough Shoal, which both countries claim.

Despite Beijing's caution, relatively poor Hainan has pushed persistently to open the Paracels to tourism since 1994 and has lobbied central government departments from the tourism promotion board to the People's Liberation Army Navy, according to Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, a Beijing-based analyst with the International Crisis Group think tank.

"The pattern is, Hainan pushes, eventually the center agrees, Vietnam protests, the center tells Hainan to stop, Hainan pretends it's stopping, but it keeps on going," she said.

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Chinese plans to tour disputed islands may increase tensions with Vietnam

Growing up on Falkland Islands

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By Steve Holden Newsbeat reporter in Winchester (L-R) Sonia Arkhipkina, Julian Yon, Barbara Short-Pardo and Caitlin Burston

Eighteen-year-old Barbara Short-Pardo remembers quite clearly the first time she had to use a train.

"It was really weird having to change platforms," she says. "Even using the little ticket machines, I was just so shocked."

It's not necessarily that shocking for people living in the UK, but it can be strange for a Falkland islander, used to living 8,000 miles from the British mainland.

Barbara's friend, 17-year-old Sonia Arkhipkina, says there isn't much need for any public transport on the islands, especially in the main town of Stanley.

(On her identity) You're a bit of both, you're British and a Falkland islander

"It takes about 10 minutes to get from one end to the other. I think it's impossible to get lost."

Barbara and Sonia are among the small contingent from the Falklands currently boarding at Peter Symonds College in Winchester.

A group of students are flown over by the Falklands authorities every year to study their A-levels.

They've been speaking about growing up on the islands, 30 years since the Falklands war between the UK and Argentina.

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Growing up on Falkland Islands

Long time in coming

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Not a care in the world, a Staple seal pup (David Steel)

It's my path now, a sleeping pup (Ciaran Hatsell)

Seal team in action

Peregrine with a Song Thrush 'kill' (Graeme Duncan)

Birding on the Farnes (Graeme Duncan)

Thursday 3rd November comments: It's been a while since the last update although it relects the busy times on the islands at this moment. We eventually said goodbye to our last visitors of the year on Monday as Inner Farne closed until 1st April 2012. It really doesn't seem that long ago that we were opening up the islands back in the spring and where has time gone!?

Following the closure we've been packing down Inner Farne as St.Cuthbert's chapel windows were boarded up for the winter (with protective shutters), the boundary ropes were taken down and the benches stored inside for the winter months ahead. Eventually after cleaning the Pele Tower from top to toe, the final five wardens moved onto Brownsman for our last month on the Farnes.

We've also managed another count of the Grey Seal pups, as we marked pups with red dye - we now have blue, yellow and red marked pups. The colonies appear to be doing well as we have now reached 704 pups - a very healthy total for the time of year.

As well as pups, a few birds have dropped in, with highlights of Water rail, Long-eared Owl, two Black Redstarts and daily sightings of Little Auks (with a peak of eight today). A partial summer-plumage Great Northern Diver is lingering whilst Black Guillemots have returned to winter with a lone individual recorded on two dates. However if you were a passerine, Brownsman was not the place to be today, as we entertained two Peregrines, a Merlin and a Sparrowhawk. Those migrating Thrushes were keeping their heads down.

Let it snow

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A stunner on Brownsman; a Twite shows well (Graeme Duncan)

A party of Snow Buntings drops in (Graeme Duncan)

Resident warden Ciaran Hatsell searching for birds

Saturday 5th November comments: Its been a very pleasant, crisp dry day on the islands, as the team enjoyed a rare day-off from the usual island activities. Despite the free-time, the team took full advantage of the settled weather and seawatched for the majority of the day, as well as searching for the odd migrant or two.

Highlights included 13 Snow Buntings (including 12 together), 2 Twite, 3 Woodcock, and a Short-eared Owl migrating west towards the mainland. Sea passage produced a scattering of Divers (including Great Northern), a double figure count of Little Gulls whilst lingering Little Auks peaked at ten. On the majestic front, two herds of Whooper Swans moved south totalling twenty-four whilst five Long-tailed Ducks were also recorded.

In general it was a very pleasant day but its back to the grind tomorrow and another Seal count. Wamses here we come...

Spray Day

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Seal pup up close (Ciaran Hatsell)

Our first 'second coater' of the year (David Steel)

Seal team in action (David Steel)

Beach pickings (David Steel)

Great Northern Diver in the kettle off Inner Farne (Ciaran Hatsell)

Thursday 27th October comments: The winds (and sea!) finally eased allowing a return to 'normality' on the Farnes. I'm not sure if the Farnes will ever be classified as 'normal', but it was as normal as we could have wished. The team were active from the start, as we headed to the seal colonies to continue our work counting and marking the pups. Due to visitor work (it was a busy day) we completed two island counts and will finish the operation tomorrow morning.

It was a good day with 115 born on the South Wamses since our last visit and I suspect we'll have over 300 pups on the islands, but will bring you a full account tomorrow. On the bird front, we had a lingering Stock Dove (a rarity out here - first record since 2008), a vocal Richard's Pipit (our second this year) and a very showy Great Northern Diver just off Inner Farne. Otherwise all well on the islands and tomorrow will be just as busy. North Wamses here we come.

Storm force

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Staple Island not open for business (Ciaran Hatsell)

The storm from Brownsman (Ciaran Hatsell)

Great Grey Shrike dinner - a Brambling speared ready to eat (Ciaran Hatsell)

Oblivious to the storm, a pup suckles (Ciaran Hatsell)

Tuesday 25th October comments: The storm raged for a second day, bringing with it huge seas, heavy rain and strong south-easterly wind. Despite the carnage, the Grey Seals got on with business as usual, with mothers protecting young pups from the might of the North Sea. On the bird front, the weather appeared to block any serious movement, with very few 'new' arrivals across the islands although the Great Grey Shrike remained for second day.

However with forecasts suggesting a drop in wind strength tomorrow could be a better day. As we head to bed tonight, the wardens are sharing the rooms with roosting Starlings, a Brambling and even a male Black Redstart which is roosting in the toilet. Welcome to planet Farnes, it really is a strange and wonderful place.

Today's highlights: Merlin 2, Woodcock 7, Moorhen 1 adult, Pomarine Skua 1 juv, Great Skua 4N, Little Auk 2S, Short-eared Owl, Great Grey Shrike present for second day and killed another Brambling, Black Redstart 4, Blackcap 12, Chiffchaff 5, Willow Warbler and Brambling 11.

Empire Shrikes Back!

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Great Grey Shrike on Brownsman (Ciaran Hatsell)

Brambling's beware (Ciaran Hatsell)

Its a stunner; Black Redstart caught in visitor centre (Graeme Duncan)

Pause for thought: Fieldfare on Inner Farne (Graeme Duncan)

Hammer time - Yes, that really is our jetty

Monday 24th October comments: The Farnes is back in action. Following a very quiet autumn period, the winds have finally switched to the south-east and with it, a plethora of good birds have arrived. The weekend brought a variety of highlights including six Grey Phalaropes and Corncrake amongst others.

Today more birds poured into the islands, with some noticeable highlights including a stunning adult Great Grey Shrike which was observed killing a hapless Brambling. The sea has been monstrous, the islands battered but the warden team are happy. What tomorrow will bring is anyone's guess, but hopefully we will have more great birds to shout about. This place is rockin.

Today highlights: Moorhen (!) adult on Inner Farne - less than annual out here, Arctic Skua 7N, Great Skua 4N, Little Gull adult, Little Auk 1S, Short-eared Owl 3, Black Redstart 2 including one caught on Inner Farne, Great Grey Shrike adult on Brownsman, Lapland Bunting and Reed Bunting 5.

It’s coming…

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Ring Ouzel - surprisingly our first this year! (Ciaran Hatsell)
It may not look much, but it's stormy! (Ciaran Hatsell)
Sunday 23rd October comments: It's been another blustery day on the islands as the winds have increased and gradually switched to the south-east. The birders on the islands are starting to get excited (these winds could bring in some very interesting migrant birds) although its not so good from the visitor point of view (probably no boats sailing until Wednesday).

Following yesterdays seawatching highlights, today followed suite with another Grey Phalarope, the lingering Sabine's Gull and two Little Auks all in Inner Sound. Although a scattering of migrants tried to steal the show including Black Redstart and Ring Ouzel, the real winner was a Corncrake, which exploded under the feet of an observer on Brownsman - our second of the year, but the first living specimen following the discovery of a raptor kill back in September. What tomorrow will bring is any one's guess, but its probably going to be good. Here goes, wish us luck.
Todays Highlights: Corncrake 1 flushed on Brownsman, Grey Phalarope 1 on sea, Sabine's Gull juvenile north Inner Sound, Pomarine Skua one juv north, Great Skua 2N, Arctic Skua 3N, Little Auk 2N, Skylark 11W, Black Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird 106W, Redwing 81W, Fiedlafre 43W, Blackcap 3, Chiffchaff 1 eastern race individual and Starling 196W (and four roosting in Brownsman cottage)

Total so far…

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Mother and pup
South Wamses Seal colony
Saturday 29th October comments: The latest Seal pup count is complete and numbers are looking very healthy on the islands. A total of seven islands now boast pups with over 400 born. The job took two days (due to weather and visitor opening hours), but we're happy and can rest in the knowledge that all is well with the Seals on the Farnes. Just to let you know, the Farne Islands seal pups will feature on tomorrow's evening Countryfile on BBC, so don't forget to watch!

Latest colony counts:

South Wamses 157

North Wamses 133

Staple Island 92

Northern Hares 16

Brownsman 26

West Wideopens 1

Little Harcar 1

Total: 426

Brownsman babes

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Brownsman's first Seal pup (Ciaran Hatsell)

Saying hello (Jamie Coleman)

Doing well; pup and mother (Ciaran Hatsell)

Tuesday 18th October comments: We were talking about it yesterday, but wasn't expecting it for another week, but Brownsman has its first Grey Seal pup. Born mid-afternoon, the new born is doing well with mother in attendance and its a cracking start to the Seal season. Where asking people to name it, so any suggestions would be most welcome. However for the time being, the first pup of Brownsman will be spending its first night on the island - welcome to the Farnes.

It wasn't just Brownsman getting in on the act, as Staple Island now has four (the first was born only yesterday) so the Seal season is well and truly upon us. Where hoping for the wind to ease by Thursday and then we'll be on our first mission to all the colonies and will bring you even further news. A great day with many more to follow.

Staple First Born

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Monday 17th October comments: You can tell Seal season is upon us. The team are living on Brownsman, there are a scattering of Seal pups across the colonies and we've got storms, raging westerly storms battering us. Business as usual then.

The westerly gales have cranked up a notch today and as darkness fell over the islands, the wind was battering Brownsman and the tiles on the 18th century cottage are rattling tonight. On the bird front it was quiet (as expected) as the Bluethroat has moved on although a Merlin kept us entertained mid-afternoon.

On the Grey Seal front, Staple Island welcomed its first pup of the autumn (we've now got them on three islands) and next week we should welcome our first on Brownsman. However that's where you all step in - we would like to name it, so any suggestions would be great! We'll keep you informed of the first pups progress as well as the entire colony throughout November, so don't go anywhere. Keep reading.