Afleveringen
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Team Four Cliffs and their support team return home to a heroes welcome. Gary's Da gets a lot of the credit for the team's success. On the other hand, Col. Starling loses his position as coach to the Cadet School, due to a change in direction by the starlings' elders. Gary's Da gets another notion. Both he and Gary meet up with Col. Starling and he suggests that they start up an academy to train gannets to compete in future EGGs. The Colonel agrees to the suggestion. Gary says he will be the academy's first candidate as his aim is to retain his title at the next EGG.
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The final race begins as fifty-four gannets sprint away from the start line into the first section of the Long Course Obstacle Race. As the race settles down, Gary is in tenth position with Gerhardt close by. Soon the competitiors are out of view heading south to a red buoy. An hour later a summer storm suddenly whips up out of nowhere and buckets of rain fall on the Nine Inlets. Soon squally showers are heading in the direction of the competitors on the homeward leg from the red buoy. The conditions now make it an even sterner test of stamina. Advantage Gary perhaps, after all the training he did with the starlings, or perhaps not ...
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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It is day 5 of the EGG. The competitors for the Long Course Obstacle Race are up early and are going through their routines. Gary's Da is going over the course notes with Gary and Gerhardt as Tickles works on their muscles and wings. The announcement is made to go to the start line for the final event of the EGG, the race that decides the overall individual title and the team title. Gertrude counts the gannets at the start line, there is one missing. Victor has decided to withdraw from the race. After three earlier victories in the EGG, Victor is the odds on favourite to win the individual title. Gary's Da gets excited, his Gary is in with a chance of overall glory, if, and its a big if, he can win the Long Course race.
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The short course obstacle race is the next event in the EGG. Ten heats are required such is the number of entrants. The winner of each heat qualifies for the final. Gary and Gregory's uncle are Team Four Cliffs' representatives in this event. Tickles, Team Four Cliffs' masseur and kit man, puts his athletes through a vigorous prerace warm-up routine. Both Gary and a red lipsticked Gregory's uncle make the final, but so does Victor.
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Team Four Cliffs have three representatives at the most spectator friendly day of the EGG. Big crowds gather to view the individual and synchronized dive events. Gary goes in the individual dive event, where the standard is very high and the judges' scores stingy. Much to the amusement of the onlooking galleries Gary scores a 9.5 for his dive. It turns out to be the winning score. His father is the proudest gannet ever and there is delight amongst Team Four Cliffs and their supporters. Gertrude and Gerhardt are next up in the synchronized event ...
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A week doing practice runs and planning strategies flies by and the start date of the Extraordinary Gannet Games comes round. On an unusually warm day, Gertrude is the first member of Team Four Cliffs into action. After a sweaty, impatient wait, she performs her routine almost perfectly and is awarded second place, the first podium finish for a Team Four Cliffs competitor in years, cue great celebration among the team and their supporters. Gary's Da takes note of the winner though, a big strong gannet called Victor, who soon emerges as a serious rival to Gary and co. Next into the fray is Tiny, to compete in the sprint, the event to determine the fastest gannet on the planet.
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Team Four Cliffs' traveling party get a rousing sendoff as they set out on their three day journey to the Nine Inlets, the host colony for the latest edition of the Extraordinary Gannet Games. On their first night stop over at the base of a Lighthouse, a strange hypnotic incident occurs with one of the team, and the others have to scramble to prevent the hapless gannet from hurting himself. Gary insists that they all act sensibly for here on, as all five of them are needed to compete in the team competition. The rest of the journey goes to plan and they arrive tired but safely at their destination.
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A quick overview of how the events at the EGG trials and at the Extraordinary Gannet Games (EGG) are scored and how the overall individual and team competitions' winners are decided. Each gannet colony holds a trial consisting of six events, the winners of each event are automatically selected on the team to represent that colony at the EGG. The same method of scoring is used in the trials and at the EGG.
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The EGG trials continue. Gertrude and Gerhardt put on a great performance and win the synchronized dive competition. Gary's Da has now coached , the winner of the one-legged landing, a 1-2 in the Individual dive, and the winners of the synchronized dive. All three of his athletes, Gary, Gertrude and Gerhardt have won their places on Team Four Cliffs. The short course obstacle race is won in controversial circumstances by Gregory. The final event, the long course obstacle race, is the Blue Riband event and the winner is considered the over-all champion of the trials. Gary, Gerhardt, Tiny and Gregory are among the twenty gannets that take the starting line for this event. Gregory is up to his usual tricks and tries to intimidate Gary before the race starts.The race develops with Gary taking a lead in the run out to the lighthouse, followed by a fast charging Gregory. Gregory attempts an overtaking manoeuvre as both he and Gary approach the lighthouse. Then disaster strikes ...
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The next event in the EGG trials is the Sprint. A big, strong, fast gannet, named Tiny wins his place on team Four Cliffs. The next event up is the Individual Dive competition. This is the most spectator friendly event of the trials and the cliff face and rocky outcrops are jammed with gannets wanting to witness proceedings. Thrills and spills ensue as gannets of all shapes and sizes, splash and belly flop into the sea as they try to impress the judges. The final three competitors are Gerhardt, Gregory and Gary. Gerhardt has to fly in between Gregory and Gary to prevent an argument from breaking out. Then it is Gerhardt's turn to dive...
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Spring is in the air and the starlings and Gary hold a big meeting. It is decided that the time has come to head back to the Four Cliffs Colony. It is a tough flight home, a headwind blows into the starlings' and Gary's faces all the way back from France. A tired Gary arrives home and greets his Mum, then his Da. He hands his log over to his Mum for her to read. His Da tells him that the trials for the latest Extraordinary Gannet Games are to start the following day. Gary doesn't know if he can compete due to his tiredness, but his Da convinces him that a good night sleep will sort him out. Gary then commits to compete in the individual dive and the long course obstacle race competitions. At the events registration the next day Gary meets Gertrude, then there is an announcement that the first event is about start. Gertrude has signed up to take part in it and she asks Gary to wish her luck ...
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One Thursday, Sergeant Starling took the young starlings and Gary out on a training run, while Col. Starling remained back at the roost. The Sarge put the young starlings through their paces on what was a lovely warm day. Gary particularly enjoyed the most complicated drill, which he and the starlings completed perfectly. After the day's training ended, the Sarge ordered the youngsters to return back to the roost. However, on the way, the starlings got distracted by a tempting swarm of tasty midges. Whilst the others went about filling their bellies, Gary, not liking the taste of midges, continued on to the roost. As he approached the roost, he spied Col. Starling asleep on a rock. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye Gary spotted a large cat sneaking up on the sleeping Col. Starling. In spite of hating and fearing cats, Gary had to take action ...
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The murmuration finally reaches its destination in the south of Spain. Gary, Seb and his gang of delinquents set about finding accommodation for their 4 month stay. They agree to rent the ground floor of a barn from an old owl named Senor Xabi. Gary and the starlings soon settle into a routine. At night they swap stories with Senor Xabi. One of Senor Xabi's stories, about how humans used discarded feathers to write with, before pens and pencils were invented, convinces Seb to learn how to write.
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Gary, Seb and the Sarge head back to the roost, they arrive just as the murmuration begins to embark on the next leg of their journey. The starlings and Gary head southwards. Gary has an inflight chat with Col. Starling about the mountains they are flying in parallel to and why they are not flying over those mountains. The murmuration then lands at the base of the Southern Pyrenees for their next rest. After Gary catches up on some sleep he then starts to record his journey so far in his log, i.e. the copybook his father gave him. After a while Seb interrupts him and they both go to get something to eat. After promising that he would teach Seb to write, and with their bellies full,both Gary and Seb return to the roost just as the murmuration is about to commence the last leg of the journey.
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After flying through the night, the starlings and an exhausted Gary spot landfall. Soon after they land on a French pasture near a slow moving river, where they set up their roost and then go about catching food and much needed rest. Col. Starling recommends the local squelchy snails to Gary, but Gary goes to sleep hungry. The next morning, along with Seb and the Sarge, Gary flies out to the coast to catch some sardines.
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Gary calls around to Gertrude's nest, and tells her that he will be joining the starlings on their migration to Spain. Gertrude wishes him a safe journey and Gary gives her a kiss and tells her to keep up her training too, before he heads back to his nest to finish his packing. Early the next morning while his Mum prepares a special breakfast, his Da gives Gary a copybook and 3 pencils for use when recording the details of his journey. After breakfast and after tearful hugs goodbye, Gary joins up with the Seb and the other starlings just before the murmuration / flock takes off for Spain. Hours into the flight Gary is beginning to find the going tough...
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Gary asks his Mum for permission to go on the migration to Spain with the starlings. She initially refuses to give him the permission he seeks. Later that evening she discusses the request further with Gary's Da. They debate the pros and cons and eventually decide to allow Gary to travel but only if he agrees to keep a daily log of his journey.
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Gary tells Gertrude that he is to join the starlings' cadet school for the summer, to help with his athletic development. She is not impressed. Gary meets Seb Starling his new instructor. Seb tries to show Gary the various twists, turns and tumbles required for the different routines. Gary eventually gets the hang of them but only after a few mishaps. After a few weeks Gary is accepted into the ranks for the starlings' murmuration / flock. Then at the start of autumn he is invited to join them in their migration to the south of Spain.
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The latest Extraordinary Gannet Games (EGG) did not go well for Team Four Cliffs. Gary's Da decides that he is going to train young gannets to be competitive at the next EGG. He asks Gary if he is serious about wanting to compete at the EGG and tells him of the efforts required. Gary confirms that he wants to compete, so he and his Da start serious training, with his Mum providing a nutritious diet. One evening on his way home from work, Gary's Da spots a flock of starlings doing their acrobatics, led by a certain Col. Starling. He gets a notion and follows the starlings to their roost ...
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Gary's Mum is surprised to see her son arrive home early from school. She gets angry when she learns that Gary is suspended for fighting with Gregory in the schoolyard. A family meeting is held later when Gary's Da returns home from work. He is very disapointed with Gary's actions until he learns of the reason for the fight. He worries about the consequences and what Miss Gangly will do. The next day he accompanies Gary to school to find out the length of the suspension. They meet Gertrude along the way...
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