NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

I've been bad. I've neglected my moths - no MV out in the garden since mid-February. And I've largely ignored my flowers - barely glanced at them to be honest. Trouble is, if I don't keep looking at them and naming them, then I lose what little information I'd retained. It means a return to basics, a need to search once again for the commonest names and an uphill struggle to try and remember salient identification features. Does it matter? No, not really, but it does seem a shame to 'go back to square one' when you've put a lot of effort in over the years to try and get to the level of 'competent'. I was wandering around a very quiet Priest Hill this morning when I had a pang of regret over this situation. As much as I've enjoyed the many hours spent birding at this site over the past four months, it's a little like driving up a cul-de-sac - you do need to turn around at some point. So, the MV will be going out again soon and a trek onto ...

At the beginning of each year, Neil Randon (Surrey-based birder / journalist / designer / blogger), sits down at his desk and casts an eye back over the previous twelve month's worth of birding and blogging. After much consideration (and refusing to be put off by cheap attempts at bribery) he announces the winners of his much vaunted, much desired and increasingly difficult to win 'Randon's Rambling Awards', affectionately known as 'Ramblers'. Click here to find out who (or where) won which category, including an exciting new one. I'm far too modest to mention who won the 'Birding Blogger of the Year' award for the third consecutive year, or who came runner-up in the inaugural 'Birding Blog Post of the Year'. I'm also far too aware that if (a) Gavin Haig actually carries on blogging; (b) Jono Lethbridge posts a bit more; and (c) Neil reads more posts from a certain Darryl Spittle, then my days of success are severely numbered. Than...

I don't know why some of us are prone to it, but occasional frustration (and dissatisfaction) with birding is something that I share with Neil Randon (aka Factor). Take a look at his latest post ( here ) and see if it rings any bells with you... I cannot speak for Neil, but I know that my birding downers are mostly caused by limited time in the field coupled with either 'poor return' or 'lack of joy'. I have always needed a focus for my pursuits, something to 'hang' my observations on, a reason for doing what I do beyond mindless wandering around with my optics. If you have limited time, chasing a year list (or any list come to that) is doomed from the start - you are going to miss out big time, particularly if others are chasing the same aim. So you need to find something that is of a more personal (and limited) scope. In an ideal world it should be enough to go out and bathe in the unbridled joy of watching whatever it is that comes your way, but I haven...