Page 16 - Out Birding Issue 111 Summer 2023

View from the Chair
Well, what an experience that was. I returned from Antarc􏰀ca in early March to some pre􏰁y cold weather, but I was used to that by then. It was truly amazing to be in such wild, untamed land and seascapes. The wildlife experiences were phenomenal, with abundant close encounters with penguins, seals and whales. Perhaps the most powerful encounter was with the hundreds of thousands of King Penguins at two loca􏰀ons in South Georgia. I found it overwhelming, which is saying something given the many extraordinary seabird experiences I have been privileged to have, and seeing guests from the ship, many of whom have ‘seen it, done it, been there’ sobbing at the sight of so many birds was unexpected too. For me, I felt quite a pang of concern at what might be the impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza if it were to reach these colonies.
Further south on the Antarc􏰀c Peninsula, the effects of extreme weather events earlier in the austral summer were clear, with many penguin colonies almost devoid of chicks, and many of those that were present were very small and unlikely to be reared to maturity before winter kicks in. Perhaps one of the most unexpected sights for me was a visit to Port Lockroy on the peninsula, a base managed by the UK Antarc􏰀c Heritage Trust where there is a small museum, shop and a base for research. The flagpole outside the buildings carried a Union Jack and a LGBT+ pride flag (plus some smaller ones in the post office). Needless to say, I had to have my photo taken next to the flag and commented favourably to the postmistress. Apparently, several guests from the ship did the same thing.
While I have been away galivan􏰀ng, we have been busy in the Club, preparing for events, such as the next Grand Get Together and beyond, and renewing our insurance. During this last exercise it has become clear that we need to 􏰀ghten up on our procedures for ensuring we stay safe during our events. The changes won’t be dras􏰀c, thankfully, but we need to do a bit more work to describe the risks that our present during events, how we control those risks and, through our many event leaders, ensure our members understand how best to stay safe during events. These types of changes sound a great deal worse than they are – we have a good understanding of the risks already and these are set out at the back of the calendar.
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