Busy Week

So the past week, it has felt like I haven't stopped with trying to get work done and keeping my head above the water but somehow I managed, pheww! 

• Went to a cafe round the corner from the house and see this little gem so of course I had to get one 
• Got a few of these to drink whilst looking at this beautiful view just 10 minutes away! So lucky to be at Bangor especially one beautiful days like this
• Went to watch our friend play in a charity lacrosse match where the boys dressed in fancy dress so some came as girls and the girls wore the lads helmets and shoulder pads and it was a most entertaining match
• Treated myself after working hard at the library for a few hours on an essay where the stats were horrendous
• My bible arrived and I was so happy to see it!
• Trip to South Stack and what a glorious day it turned out to be with seeing countless birds I had never seen
• This cake was needed for energy to walk and I soon burned it off with all of walking that was done
• I kept promising myself this after slogging away for hours in the library but always finished after Costa closed so I eventually got one Friday morning after my essay was handed in and it was so delicious!

So that was my week it doesn't seem that hectic now but god it felt like it at the time. The next two weeks I am going to be busy spending most of my time in the library reading journals and books and writing up my dissertation proposal, only seems like yesterday that I started university, how the time has flown by!

Hope you all had a good week and weekend!

Field Trip to South Stack

Today I went on a local field trip to South Stack RSPB Centre. To Begin with we stopped at Holyhead Harbour to observe Black Guillemot in the fine rain that soaks you through. But it was lovely. Even saw a few Oystercatcher too!

We then went on to South Stack where we stood at the top of a cliff that had a 100 metre drop looking over the sea and the bird colonies. We then went into RSPB's Ellin Tower where we had a brief talking about the birds that normally nest there and there can be up to 6000 birds! And just look at that view! 

We then had lunch of course! So decided to treat myself a slice of chocolate cake something I cannot resist ever! And it was delicious! Soon burned it off with all of the walking up and down stairs though didn't do all of the 400 steps that followed but it was worth it.

Some of the species that I saw were about 10 Great Black-backed Gull and oh my goodness they are huge birds when they are flying! Their wingspan is incredible it's amazing when they fly above you and you just see a wingspan of about 3 metres above you. Saw a few Lesser Black-backed Gull not quite as big as their relative. We saw a lot of Herring Gull but it was surprising to find out that their numbers have been declining though we see them everywhere almost! We were lucky enough to see quite a few Puffin on the water which was very exciting as I haven't seen any of these in years and I think they are one of the cutest birds ever! So of course whenever my friend Ellie saw when all you could here was awww I love puffins! Even our lecturer Nigel asked why do you go aww when you see a Puffin and I couldn't put my finger on an answer but I just love them. We saw a fair few Razorbill in little groups in the sea aswell. We were lucky enough to see two maybe 3 Chough which is really amazing as these birds are quite rare but South Stack has 6 pairs in one area which is really good. The odd Cormorant would appear on the water before diving. 

These two pictures were where we saw most of the species and we stood for ages just looking through the binoculars or telescope scanning the water and cliffs to see what we could see and we'd just shout PUFFIN, COMORANT, RAZORBILL, PUFFINS then the trick was telling people where there were and guessing where they were from when other people shouted aha was most exciting.

It was in the area of water in the middle of this picture ^ that we spotted a Grey Seal bobbing it's head just above water so that you could see it. We got really excited as it was only me Ellie and Becky who were in the best spot but then the seal dived and disappeared but we waited for 20 minutes or so before we gave up hoping that the seal would reappear. I have a feeling it waited for us to turn our backs and head back up the steps before reappearing, mean seal!

After climbing back up around 300 steps to get back to the RSPB's Ellin Tower the sun had come out and it was glorious, I even managed to catch some colour on cheek albeit it is red but still colour nonetheless! After walking back this was how the view looked with a bit of sunshine, gloriously beautiful!

It was a wonderful day out and I would recommend it to anyone who visits North Wales especially around now and May/June because you may be looking at around 6000 birds on one cliff edge and may even be lucky enough to see some chicks! How excited would that be! Would recommend taking waterproof trousers and wearing walking boots just in case the weather isn't too brilliant in the morning like it was for us. But it is a rewarding visit, with cliffs, sea birds and some Irish sea to look at which all make for a good 4+ hours out (if you're really into birds, like we were today.) Definitely somewhere I shall be visiting more!

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you

Whenever me and my flatmates are out at night and we can see the stars we start singing this to each other, we're a cute bunch of people. 

So last night we went out for a walk bearing in mind it was around 11.30ish and it was quite dark but the sky was full of stars and a few clouds. We decided to go to a place called Roman Camp which we had never been to before but because it's us we decided to go and find it in the dark! Using phone torches we made our way through a wooded area and because Bangor has a love affair with hills and them being steep this pathway started to get a little steep but then flattened out and we found a field which was Roman Camp. The view from being on this field was amazing, the whole of Bangor could be seen and we could see onto Anglesey quite well too!  Really wish I'd have taken pictures but I don't think they could have shown just how beautiful the sky or the views looked! 

We sat on benches looking up at the sky watching the stars appear and waiting to see if we could see any meteors and we all managed to see one! It's breathtaking to see a meteor, they are a like a flash of orange in a line and you can see them for around 2-3 seconds and then they're gone as though they were never there but you've seen one and that will stay with you forever! 

There's something about looking up at the sky seeing all these stars appear and feeling a slight breeze on your face, it was so blissful. We talked about how they are so many solar systems and that we can't be the only planet with living organisms on it.

So lucky to live where we do and be able to go on a five minute walk and see the sea and sit on benches in fields staring at the sky, don't think it would be possible to have done it if we'd have gone to universities in the city. I think it's good to just walk at night, I think it helps with thinking and putting things into perspective. I find that it takes me to another place so I clear my mind and I find some inner peace for a while before heading back into reality. 

Is there a place you go to that makes you forget things for a while or makes you feel lucky?

A love affair that will last a lifetime

Ever since I can remember I've had an obsession with Phantom of the Opera and it all began with this image (1) inside the OST vinyl that my grandparents had (my nan gave it to me a few months ago and I was excited, now I just need to get a vinyl player something I've wanted for a little while.) Whenever I visited my grandparents I'd sit and look at the vinyl repeatedly even though it was only two sections with a vinyl in each side and then a booklet with all of the song lyrics so I'd sit and try and sing along.

1

I've seen Phantom twice now, once in the West End and once on the UK tour last month and I have seen Love Never Dies when it first came out, which was very exciting! Each time I seen it I've had to get merchandise but also when I've had birthdays and christmas' I've been brought things too which is always overwhelming and exciting! I didn't purchase any merchandise from the West End but from the UK Tour I got (2 L-R): a program, a t-shirt which I had to get and a full picture brochure which I've repeatedly looked at in awe!

2

I was lucky enough to go and see Lover Never Dies for my 18th (nearly 3 years ago, how the time flies!) I fell in love with the soundtrack before I even went to see it and when I came out I was gob-smacked at how beautiful it was (changes were made and then it was scrapped from the West End which made me sad and I have to say I do not like the Australian version at all, nope) So I saw the t-shirt which is beautiful got a program and then a full picture brochure. 

3

After looking through what I'd got from the shows I decided to get everything I own that was Phantom related and was astonished to find that there were 15 items I had acquired over the past few years. There shall be more to get in the future no doubt.

4

I knew I loved Phantom but when I got everything out and laid it across my bed I was taken aback by how many things I did have and what I had. I have no shame in being obsessed with this and I take any opportunity to talk about it with anyone else who likes it.

Is there anything you love but are shocked (in a pleasant way) at how many things related to it you have?

Nice Little Discovery Made

Thanks to the wonders of Youtube discovering new music has been made easier and I think more exciting! Whilst browsing through videos that consisted of Halestorm, Fall Out Boy, Nina Nesbitt and Bastille I discovered a band called Passenger on the suggested videos, so I decided I'd have a listen. The first song I decided to listen to was Let Her Go and after it finished I sat in awe and then listened to it again. The lyrics were beautiful as was the guys voice so I decided to delve into their catalogue of videos and found that they were a funny group with cleverly written lyrics.

Another of their songs I found which I found so funny, was I Hate as it rings true! The lyrics are very clever and this is a live version which I really liked as you can hear the reaction from the audience when he's singing certain lines.

This is definitely a band I shall be buying albums from and keeping an eye on as they sound good live and are lyrically clever.

A Little Piece Of Heaven

Attingham Park in Shrewsbury, part of the National Trust, is one of my favourite places to go to. My family have been going there for the past 5 years and each time I go I fall more in love with it. I love going in all of the seasons if I can, as it's always beautiful with the different seasonal flowers growing and it has this magic of always looking different and something I've not noticed before to stand out. I always seem to get lost in my thoughts when I'm here and I love nothing better than taking my time walking around and stopping every now and then to just look around me and wonder how old trees are, what birds inhabit this beautiful and what it's like when the sun goes down. These are just normal thoughts for a Zoology Conservation student, well for me anyway.

Here are a few of my favourite pictures from the past few times of going. Enjoy.

Such a vibrant colour that catches the eye during Autumn!

 This is from the first time we ever went in 2008 (can tell as my brother is no longer small nor young looking, but a 16 year old soon to be leaving school and growing up, sob!) My family are a funny bunch, this was so spontaneous as we were mucking about.

It would appear that I have no pictures from 2009 or 2010, I think this was due to cameras breaking and getting a new one so there are no longer any pictures :( love technology!

 These are from 2011 and it was such a beautiful day!  

 This tree is over 100 years old and I always have to go and look at it in absolutely awe. This picture doesn't even do it justice! Definitely going to try and get a better picture of it!

Love it when the snow drops are out! The floor is covered in white and it all looks so dainty and precise! 

Nothing like seeing a daffodil springing out of the ground with it's bright colour. Spring may finally be getting here *touch wood*

Not the best images of the Pheasant Phasianus colchicus and Fallow Deer Dama dama. 

A few more pictures than I had anticipated but it is such a beautiful place. Definitely a place I shall continue to go for a long time.