My World Of Wildlife

At the weekend I visited Millers Wood, near Handcross in West Sussex for the second time (see my blog on the first time I visited here: ( https://myathebirder.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/bird-photography-workshop-with-john.html ) to photograph the many species of birds that visit the photography hides built by the owner and photographer, John Stanton. It is a great place because it offers a reflection pool, many feeding stations and cosy hides with one even being heated with a wood-burner! This time my aim was to try and photograph the Crossbills which now visit quite regularly, but unfortunately when I was there they didn't come to drink from the reflection pool. However with species such as Great Spotted Woodpeckers coming down frequently I managed to get some photos I was pleased with. Another bonus was that I saw a brambling for the first time, a bird that I had been trying to see for a while! Brambling Blue Tit Blue Tit Chaffinch Great Spotted Woodpecker ...

The weekend before last I went up to Cissbury Ring for my first ringing session of the year. It was very foggy and you couldn't see into the fields that surround the main path! Walking up the path I managed to see a glimpse of a Yellowhammer which was surprising as I normally just hear them singing. It was quite a quiet morning however catching a Redwing was a surprise as it was only the second for the site this Winter. Also 2 Long-tailed Tits were nice to see up close in the hand. Long-Tailed Tit Redwing Overall we caught 18 birds, consisting of 15 new birds (un-ringed birds) and 3 retraps (ringed birds). Moving on to this weekend, I went for a walk at the Old Lodge Nature Reserve in Ashdown Forest. It was a lovely walk and I saw 4 Stonechat, a Kestrel, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Redpoll. After seeing the sighting on social media on the way back I stopped off at Weirwood Reservoir to see the drake Goldeneye that had been seen there. With help from a fellow bi...

Although its a day late I thought I would write a post about World Wildlife Day.  On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March, the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.  This year the theme was "Listen to the Young Voices," something that I believe we should be doing more. Wildlife has a played a big part in my life so far. Whether it be birdwatching, having the privilege of seeing birds up close whilst bird ringing or just generally appreciating the wildlife we are lucky to have. Therefore I want to make sure that I make a difference in my lifetime by inspiring the next generation, raising awareness of why its so important we protect our wildlife and supporting as many causes related to wildlife as I can. Swallow 'How can w...