Keep calm and carry on

The first day of the year also saw my first day of undertaking the Beddington Sewage Farm botanical survey. It sounds rather grander than it really is - it's just me wandering all over the farm for the next twelve months making a list of the species present and commenting on their status and where they can be found. There is going to be one drawback however, and that is that when I am looking down at plants I cannot also be looking up at birds. Because of this, as I was photographing the Annual Mercury (pictured above) a skein of 25 White-fronted Geese flew over my head. A text alert had me frantically scanning the skies, but to no avail. It is just as well that with my new-found zen-like state of being I was able to accept this with calm and grace ...bollocks!!

My birding highlights included a Little Egret, 2 Egyptian Geese, a Redshank, 3 Green Sandpiper, a Water Rail and 3 Water Pipits. But no geese, no Goosander (a drake flew over) and no Firecrest (not seen today after two being present yesterday).

Comments

Tricia Ryder said…
What about a periscope so you have down and up vision ;)

Happy New Year Steve.....
1 January 2011 at 20:31
Steve Gale said…
Hi Tricia, can you design one for me? Happy New Year to you too.
1 January 2011 at 20:48
Tricia Ryder said…
I'll see what I can come with Steve.... ;)
1 January 2011 at 20:55
Gavin Haig said…
I am grippingly happy to relate that I have seen a skein of Whitefronts over Beddington. Mind you, I was dipping a Killdeer at the time...
1 January 2011 at 21:45
Steve Gale said…
Ouch, Gavin! Your ability to grip someone off 27 years after the event is admirable. Had I seen the Killdeer I could have acted all nonchalantly. However...
2 January 2011 at 14:51
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Goldfinches and Lavender

Image
We have three medium-sized Lavender bushes in our back garden. Throughout the summer the flowers (which last for several months) are a magnet for insects and give off a most restful aroma. As tempting as it is to cut the dead stems in the autumn, we always leave them, as we know that during the late winter we will get visitors to feed on the seed heads... This video was taken from the kitchen window this morning. We will normally see one or two birds over a few days, but have had up to 14 at once. We never tire of watching them. Lavender is a wonderful plant to have in the garden, with year round natural history benefits. So what are you waiting for? They are readily available at a garden centre close to you right now! There is an historic association with Lavender in this part of northern Surrey and south London. Lavender fields have been harvested for many years, with one particular field close to Woodmansterne being very popular with day trippers. A significant proportion o
Read more

To tell it like it is, or not...

Image
I am grateful to Gavin Haig (Not Quite Scilly) who drew my attention to an opinion piece, penned by Matt Phelps, which appeared in the November issue of 'Birdwatch' magazine, entitled 'Positive Approach', which I have now read. In it, he suggests that there is too much negativity being posted on social media regarding the state of our birding world, which is then acting as a deterrent towards a younger generation in adopting conservation and wildlife study. He also suggests that a lot of this negativity is being generated by older birders, and that these old timers keep banging on about the 'good old days' which isn't helpful in encouraging the youth to pick up a pair of binoculars and get out into the field. Does he have a point? Now, I am undeniably an older birder, and I am also guilty of having posted, blogged, written and spoken about the slump in bird and invertebrate numbers. I also like nothing better than to revisit my notebooks and share in the hi
Read more

Time to reflect

I normally come up with the title for a post after I have written it. If I'm feeling creative it will be some sort of play on words, or if I'm not then an all-encompassing word or two will do. As for this particular post, and with a few things to discuss, I've written the title first, inspired by having just read a feature about musicians who have used the title of an album as the starting point for their creative exercise. Here goes... Firstly, blogs - yes, this very medium that I am writing in and you are reading from. - what content they derive, the reason that the content exists and what the writer should (or should not) expect from any reader that visits the blog. This was brought into sharp focus by a series of posts to be found here, at Jono Lethbridge's excellent 'Wansted Birder'.   His blogging output has recently included detailed and entertaining reports on his recent overseas trips which have received a bit of flak from certain quarters. None of us b
Read more