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This is the ledge that a pair of nest-building birds, (some kind of North American Swallow or Swift?) chose to build their home on... The little ledge they chose must have seemed ideal - south-facing and out of the wind - and the ship that it was on hadn't been anywhere for a couple of weeks already... Little did this hapless couple know, that they had set up home on a ship that was just about to set sail across the Pacific; on a three week voyage from the West coast of Canada to Japan. NOT a good place to try to bring up a nest full of fledglings, especially if you depend on insects for your food?! Well, luckily, they hadn't yet laid any eggs when their little nest was discovered... It was with extremely heavy heart that I removed their lovingly crafted home and threw it into the dock, water. But sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind? Better that they were evicted and forced to build a new home somewhere else, than for them to have to abandon a nest full of fledglings to starve to death, as the ship sailed out across the Pacific Ocean... These birds were mightily annoyed with me at the time, though - for destroying days of work and countless flights back and forth fetching bits of grass and mud. Ever thought of putting a ledge someplace on your house for swifts and swallows to build their nests on? At least, your house isn't going anywhere soon! Photo taken aboard c.s. Wave Venture at Victoria, B.C., Canada - May, 2007

That was me photographing the photographer! When I uploaded this, over 18 years ago, I referred to the photographer as an Old Japanese man. Now, at the time of writing, (October 2024), I am 66 years young myself! When editing this image description, I also realized that the Photographer could well be Korean, Vietnamese - or even an American Citizen, for all I know! So here we go, with an updated, (2024) description of this image... A spritely young man taking pictures of "sakura" (cherry trees) in full blossom, in the Peace Park outside the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki, Japan Photo taken in spring - (cherry blossom season - obviously!) - 2006

A not so old old man on the seashore, making bird houses out of driftwood. Photo taken along the shoreline near Ogden Point, Victoria B.C., Canada. He had bought along some woodworking tools and was busy turning the pile of driftwood around him into intricate little birdhouses. The young girl is just about to persuade her parents to buy one of them! Photo taken on a sunny but windy day in May, 2007

An old man on the seashore near Ogden Point, Victoria B.C., Canada. He had bought along some woodworking tools and was busy turning the pile of driftwood around him into intricate little birdhouses. Photo taken on a sunny but windy day in May, 2007

Photo taken on a bright, sunny but windy day in, 2007. This photo marks the end of an era - not only for the c.s. (cable ship) Wave Venture but for the old Cable and Wireless Marine, (latterly Global Marine Systems,) Victoria Station. At the time this photo was taken, Wave Venture was loading cable from the depot and preparing to leave Victoria - probably for the last time...

Photo taken on a bright, sunny but windy day in, 2007. This photo marks the end of an era - not only for the c.s. (cable ship) Wave Venture but for the old Cable and Wireless Marine, (latterly Global Marine Systems,) Victoria Station. At the time this photo was taken, Wave Venture was loading cable from the depot and preparing to leave Victoria - probably for the last time...

Photo taken on a bright, sunny but windy day in, 2007. This photo marks the end of an era - not only for the c.s. (cable ship) Wave Venture but for the old Cable and Wireless Marine, (latterly Global Marine Systems,) Victoria Station. At the time this photo was taken, Wave Venture was loading cable from the depot and preparing to leave Victoria - probably for the last time...

The passenger cruise ship, Norwegian Pearl, entering the port of Victoria, B.C., Canada - at Ogden Point. Photo taken from aboard c.s. Wave Venture, (whilst we were out on a mini-cruise of our own - en route from Ogden Point to a berth in the Canadian Navy base at Esquimalt Bay) - May, 2007

Systems Technician David Quayle in the Test Room of c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst working on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic. Here he is, looking highly pleased with the prospect of another day's work - bobbing around at sea. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Sunset at sea - as seen from aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst working on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Sunset at sea - as seen from aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst working on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Sunset at sea - as seen from aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst working on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Sunset at sea - as seen from aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst working on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Systems Technician Gary Muncaster smiling like a Cheshire Cat, on board the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian - whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Systems Technician Gary Muncaster hard at work aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Systems Technician Gary Muncaster hard at work aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Systems Technician Gary Muncaster hard at work aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Chief Officer Gary Williams hard at work aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Chief Officer Gary Williams hard at work aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Chief Officer Gary Williams hard at work aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Third Officer, Hassan Shaikh and Junior Systems Technician, Richard Wilson hard at work aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan

Systems Technician, Jim McKendrick hard at work aboard the cable repair ship c.s. Pacific Guardian, whilst on a telecommunications cable repair in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Photo by STE ( C ) - (otherwise known as a Second Cable Engineer!) - Fred Logan