The Stag 1

Hi Mark, if you thought the ritual humiliation was over and done with, think again. Here are some of the highlights.



Above: Having caught The Stag on his way to the toilet with a bowl of cereal (in one end, out the other is Mark's way of saving precious time in the morning), he obviously thought it wouldn't be good form, so he shat ... sorry, typo ... sat at the computer instead!



Above: Shaving the stag! Lately, Mark's hair has been migrating downwards (from the top of his head to his chinny chin chin).



Above: Doug kindly organised some food at his pad. The Stag displays his dominance over the pack by showing us how big and uncouth he really is!



Above: The Stag (centre in the double handed teapot pose) and his pack after some quadbiking fun.



Above: The Stag doesn't want to leave the stripping for later. He'd rather get it over and done with early on!



Above: The apes gather!





Above: Go Ape is a treetop adventure for groups of people who like to hang around and Ape it up.

The Stag 2

Above: No Mark, Claire won't be happy if you marry this ape instead just because it has a big erection!



Above: Don't look down Mark! Going first and desperate not to cock up, Mark is showing us how it is all done ... on the training course - 3 ft above the ground!



Above: Mark is horsing around on the stirrup challenge!



Above: There was plenty of time for Mark to take the mick out of other people too!



Above: The day was a barrel of laughs!

The Stag 3

Above: Wooooohooooooo!



Above: Mark: "Me? Pose for photographs? Never ... anyway, I am too busy climbing!"



Above: Mark is acting cool



Above: Mark in his natural ape habitat.



Above: At the bottom of the last zip line, Go Ape stickers were stuck to his head. Look on the bright side Mark - at least when you pealed them off it shouldn't have hurt because there are very few hairs on your head!
Also - like confetti - as he came in for the landing, we threw woodchip at him! Did it taste nice Mark?

My no.1 bird ...

I was surprised to find this in the net today. Usually they are somewhere about laughing and teasing me & flying nowhere near the net! In fact, earlier on, I had shouted out to one such Green Woodpecker and suggested it should get in the efin net!



Above: My first of this species but hopefully not the last!



Above & below: From the front & back. When they fly away from you, there is a flash of yellow (like the flash of blue you see in kingfishers).

No more false advertising!

No surprise that I am posting lots of photographs of this bird!



Above: The wing was in primary moult.



Above: The photographic hold



Above: In the ringers hold



Above: Eye spy



Above: Unlike the Great Spotted Woodpeckers, the Green Woodpecker does not take chunks out of your hand or try to draw blood!