Nature Reserve – Page 3 – Canned Wildlife

Wildlife in May

May 12, 2017May 24, 2020Posted in Amphibians, BBC, Birds, Country Park, Countryside, Encounters, Environmental, Exploration, Garden, Greenbelt, Lakes, Local, Mammals, Nature Reserve, TV, Video, VlogTagged Badgers, BBC, Birds, Birdsong, Botany, Countryfile, Countryside, Dawn Chorus, Documentary, Environment, Film, Frogs, Garden, Herptiles, Mammals, May, My Wild Life, Nature, Outdoors, Spring, Springwatch, Video, Vlog, Wildlife, Wildlife Monthly, Wildlife Trusts, WoodpeckerLeave a comment

A few years ago I made a series of short videos which were featured on the Reader’s Digest Magazine website, entitled Wildlife Monthly.

Each month I produced 3 videos around a minute or more, detailing flora and fauna (mainly fauna) for you to look out for; be it in your garden, local park / reserve or further afield.

Below I have included the videos from my May edition(s).

2012

2011
(apologies for the dodgy voice-overs)

Thanks for visiting 🙂

Day 15 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 15, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Countryside, Encounters, Environmental, Farm, Film, Literature, Local, Nature Art, Nature Reserve, Video, VlogTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birding, Birds, Bromsgrove, Challenge, Conservation, Countryfile, Countryside, Environment, Film, My Wild Life, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, Springwatch, The Wildlife Trust, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Trusts, Worcestershire1 Comment

“Write a wild poem”

15/06/16

The weather has been inclement again, and I was off to the N.E.C later as a member of Press, to report on BBC Gardeners’ World Live. So I opted to write a wild poem; I was happy there was a break in between showers, because I was able to get out into my partner’s garden to recite my poem.

Thanks. 🙂

Day 14 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 14, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Country Park, Countryside, Environmental, Exploration, Farm, Film, Greenbelt, Local, Nature Reserve, Video, Vlog, Walk, WoodlandTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birding, Birds, Bromsgrove, Challenge, Conservation, country park, Countryfile, Countryside, Environment, Frankley, Frankley Beeches, Meadow, My Wild Life, National Trust, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, Rubery, Springwatch, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Walk, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Trusts, WorcestershireLeave a comment

“Tweet for the wild”

14/06/16

Today I tweeted a link to the video below – which I made last year – about my favourite local patch and why it matters to me:

The poem I mentioned in the video: Ode to a Secret River

Thanks 😀

Day 8 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 8, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Exploration, Interview, Local, Nature Reserve, Plants, Video, Vlog, Walk, WorkTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birds, Birmingham, Challenge, Conservation, Countryfile, Countryside, Environment, Meadow, My Wild Life, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, Springwatch, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife TrustsLeave a comment

Some Good News

08/06/16

See video:

More info: The course is ran by B’ham Metropolitan College at the Botanical Gardens – the course involves; boundary habitat conservation, ecological surveys and techniques, ecology of trees, woods and forests, game management and environmental studies.

Thankyou. 😊

Day 4 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 5, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in BBC, Birds, Challenge, Environmental, Film, Nature Reserve, Nest, TV, Video, Vlog, WorkTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birding, Birds, Birmingham, Challenge, Environment, Film, My Wild Life, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Springwatch, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife TrustsLeave a comment

“Encourage wild at work”

04/06/16

I have been working most of the first few days of June, so I’ve opted for easy Acts of Wildness (I have had no choice really) for my 30 Days Wild ‘challenges’. They are still enjoyable mind! I particularly enjoyed Encourage wild at work, because it made me bring nature into the work place – more specifically; the staff canteen! 💚

So what did I do? Well, on my lunch break I put the Springwatch Webcams on the TV, it happened to be adorable Little Owls which were on screen. 😃

Sophie, my colleague and friend, showed some interest and happily sat down in front of the TV:

Thanks. 😊

Day 3 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 5, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Encounters, Exploration, Mammals, Nature Reserve, Nest, Video, Vlog, Walk, WoodlandTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birding, Challenge, Conservation, Countryfile, Countryside, Film, Minsmere, My Wild Life, National Trust, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Springwatch, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Wild Time, Wildlife Trusts2 Comments

Nature Highlights at Minsmere

03/06/16

Hello 😊

For day three, I caught up on Springwatch and UNSPRUNG episodes that I’ve missed, plus I’ve put together a short video of my highlights at RSPB Minsmere (below) featuring:

Great Spotted Woodpecker
Otter
Nightingale (Song)
Chaffinches
Sand Martins
Stone-Curlew
Barnacle Goose
Avocet
Redshank
Black-Headed Gull Chicks

Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting. 👍🏻

Day 2 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 4, 2016Jun 4, 2016Posted in BBC, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Encounters, Exploration, Mammals, Nature Reserve, Nest, Plants, TV, WoodlandTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Challenge, Conservation, Countryside, My Wild Life, National Trust, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Springwatch, The Wildlife Trust, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Trusts2 Comments

“Explore somewhere wild”

02/06/16

I travelled near enough 4 hours from the West Midlands to Suffolk, so I could visit RSPB Minsmere, and also be in the BBC Springwatch Unsprung audience! Some of you will know, it’s a reserve right on the East Coast of England! And is a host to a variety of habits, wildlife and of course, BBC Springwatch! 😃 I came over on the Wednesday night and stayed in near by Leiston, at the Field End Guest House.

I often wax-lyrical (to friends and family) about reserves that have a variety of habitats, I absolutely love them, because they are so enriching to explore and will be home to many different species of wildlife, which is fantastic to observe and have encounters with.

RSPB Minsmere certainly deserves it’s national recognition! I will definitely be visiting again in the near future! I arrived on the reserve at 10.30AM.

I love a good Log Pile and what an amazing extensive one this is!

Top Nature of the Day:

Otter – Bittern Hide
Stone-Curlew – on the way to the Beach
Nightingale (heard) – Car Park
Cetti’s Warbler (heard) – East Hide (and all over the reserve)
Avocets – South Hide
Sand Martins – Colony near Visitors Centre
Great Spotted Woodpeckers (pair feeding chicks at the nest) – South Belt Crossroads
Sea Pink – on the Beach Path
Common Spotted Orchid – near Bittern Hide

IMG_3515_1 — Observing the Stone-Curlew (in the distance)

At 5.00PM it was time to load the car up and get ready for Springwatch UNSPRUNG!

On_UNSRUNG_2016 — To see me on UNSPRUNG click here!

Thanks for reading. 😄

Wildlife Monthly: ARG Record Pool

Mar 17, 2016Posted in Amphibians, Canal, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Country Park, Encounters, Environmental, Exploration, Farm, Garden, Greenbelt, Holiday, Interview, Lakes, Local, Nature Reserve, Reptiles, River, TV, Video, VlogTagged Adam Canning, Amphibians, ARG UK, Birmingham, Conservation, Countryside, East Midlands, Environment, Film, Herptiles, Interview, Jack Perks, My Wild Life, Random Acts of Wildness, Reptiles, Springwatch, Suburban, Survey, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife MonthlyLeave a comment

This month I’ve decided to focus on some wildlife that takes a backseat, and is often overlooked – Reptiles and Amphibians! 🐍 🐸

ARG UK have teamed up with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation; to bring us a Record Pool of our water loving and sun loving friends! In the video below I interview Underwater Cameraman, Jack Perks – to give us some tips and the lowdown on this nationwide survey.

To get involved with the survey; click here. 💻

Get spotting!

Thanks. 😃

Wildlife Monthly: Bewick’s Swan

Feb 22, 2016Posted in Birds, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Lakes, Nature Reserve, Video, West CountryTagged Adam Canning, BBC Midlands Today, Bewick's Swan, Birding, Conservation, Countryfile, Countryside, Days Out, Documentary, Environment, February, Gloucestershire, My Wild Life, Natural History, Outdoors, Slimbridge, Swan, Video, Wetlands, Whooper Swan, Wild Time, Wildfowl, Wildlife Monthly, Winter, Winterwatch, WWTLeave a comment

If you’ve not seen or heard of Wildlife Monthly; click here.

This month’s instalment features one of our large feathery winter visitors from the high Arctic; the Bewick’s Swan. Part of the “Wild Swans” family, they’re not sedentary but are free-roaming and make a lot more noise than Mute Swans do – with their load trumpeting calls which often mark their arrival. They are also famously known for their individual black and yellow beak markings – allowing each bird to be identified and studied, which the staff at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, have been doing since the 1960’s. They’re named after the celebrated bird illustrator, Thomas Bewick – and funnily enough, the yellow on a Bewick’s Swan’s beak forms the letter B!

To see my video on the Whooper Swan (another member of the Wild Swan family) click here.

Thanks 🙂

Wildlife Monthly and Big Garden Birdwatch!

Jan 30, 2016Mar 17, 2016Posted in Birds, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Farm, Film, Garden, Local, Nature Reserve, VideoTagged A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Big Garden Birdwatch, Birds, BTO, Conservation, Environment, Farm, Film, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Lord of the Manor, Moseley Old Hall, My Wild Life, National Trust, RSPB, South Staffs, Staffordshire, Survey, Video, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wolverhampton, Woodland1 Comment

Wildlife Monthly – my seasonal video guide to British wildlife – is back! 😃

It has been 5 whole years since my first ever episode! There were two series in total, which Reader’s Digest Magazine featured on their website, with the last episodes being uploaded at the end of May 2012. Each month I produced 3 videos around a minute or more, detailing flora and fauna (mainly fauna) for you to look out for; be it in your garden, local park/reserve or further afield.

The idea this year, if all goes to plan, is to produce a single video per month, following that same criteria. Episode 1 of 2016’s Wildlife Monthly is in support of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, in which I made some pink bird food. It was filmed at Moseley Old Hall – National Trust, which is in located on the boarder of South Staffordshire and Wolverhampton – where for the day, I was Lord of the Manor. 😉

Red Fat Balls and Lard Cake Recipe:

250g Lard (I used dripping, it’s fine to use suet and vegetable fat)
150g Sunflower Hearts
100g Crushed Peanuts
50g Porridge Oats
1 Red Gel Food Colour (Dr. Oetker)

Doubtless you’ll be doing yours in a kitchen!

Crush the Peanuts with a pestle and mortar, or put them between a tea-towel and whack them with a rolling-pin.
You don’t want to deep-fry the food, so just melt your chosen fat on a low-to-medium heat/flame.
(Add everything to the lard and mix together) Turn your heat right down. When everything is mixed together, line a small cuboid container with either grease-proof paper or clingfilm, fill it with the mixture halfway and pop it into the fridge – to set for an hour – creating your Lard Cake.
Pop the rest of the mixture into the fridge for approx. 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes initially, so when it comes to making the mixture into balls it’s at the right consistency.
Roll the mixture into fatballs – you should get approx. 6 in total.
The rest is self-explantory/can be gathered from my video above…

RSPB.org.uk/Birdwatch

BTO.org/GardenBirdWatch

The breeding population of Goldfinches has risen by approx. 91% in recent years, and in Ireland the increase was around 158%! The British Trust for Ornithology has launched a survey to determine what is attracting these fabulous finches to our gardens. — BTO.org/Goldfinch-Survey

It’s estimated that since the 70’s we have lost 6 million House Sparrows! However, I’m proud to write; in Birmingham they are in good numbers! Along with Devon and Dorset, bucking the trend. 😊

UPDATE:

BGBWJan16 — These are the results from my Garden Birdwatch (31/01/2016)

To catch up on pervious episodes of Wildlife Monthly, click here.

Thanks and all the best! 😀