Garden BirdWatch – Canned Wildlife

House Sparrows Trail CAM

Jul 4, 2020Posted in Birds, Environmental, Film, Garden, Local, Natural History, Video, VlogTagged #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Bill Oddie, Birder, Birders, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Birmingham, BTO, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Camera Trap, Creative Conservation, DEFRA, Earth Capture, Earth on Location, Environment, Environmental, Film, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, House Sparrows, Made in Birmingham, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Ornithology, Outdoors, RSPB, Semirural, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, Summer 2020, The Wildlife Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, Trail Camera, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild Time, Wilder Future, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmaker, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Vlog, WildlifeKate, WLT Bigger Picture, World Land TrustLeave a comment

Last night I popped my Trail CAM in one of the trees at the bottom of the garden. Below is what it managed to capture this morning 😊

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 27 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 27, 2020Jun 29, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Local, Mammals, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Big Garden Birdwatch, Birder, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Birmingham, Blackbird, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Challenge, Earth Capture, Encounter, Environmental, Feeding Birds, Film, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, Huawei, June, Made in Birmingham, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Ornithology, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Semirural, Simon King, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, Summer 2020, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Vlog, WLT Bigger Picture, World Land TrustLeave a comment

Was chilling out in the garden, when I heard a Blackbird singing close & loud, it then got closer – so I filmed it 😆

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 25 + 26 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 26, 2020Jul 4, 2020Posted in BBC, Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Natural History, Nature Reserve, TV, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Big Garden Birdwatch, Bill Oddie, Birder, Birders, Birding, Birds, Birdsong, Birdwatching, Birmingham, BTO, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Camera Trap, Challenge, Conservation, David Lindo, Dawn Chorus, Dunnock, Earth Capture, Earth on Location, Encounter, Environment, Environmental, Feeding Birds, Film, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Greenbelt, House Sparrows, June, Made in Birmingham, Meadow, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nature Reserve, New Frankley, Ornithology, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, Rewildling, Robin, RSPB, Semirural, Simon King, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, Summer 2020, The Urban Birder, The Wildlife Trust, Trail Camera, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

My new toy arrived, a 4K video-recording 20MP photo-taking Trail CAM! 💖

Late in the afternoon I set it up in our new Wildlife Corner of the garden.

This morning I reviewed the footage that was recorded from yesterday afternoon, the evening & from this morning. I am over the moon with what the Trail CAM managed to capture! 💚

Thanks for visiting! ☺️

Day 16 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 16, 2020Jun 16, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Environmental, Film, Garden, Local, Natural History, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birdsong, Birmingham, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Challenge, Dance in a downpour, Dancing in the Rain, Earth Capture, Environmental, Film, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, iPhone, June, Made in Birmingham, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Semirural, Spring, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, The Wildlife Trust, Thunderstorm, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

This afternoon I was observing the clouds, watching them drift by, so I got footage of them ⛅️ But as I was editing, a Thunderstorm hit, so I focused my attention on that and recorded a chunk of the storm, to capture the amazing rolling thunder ⛈

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 13 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 13, 2020Jun 14, 2020Posted in BBC, Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Film, Garden, Insects, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Plants, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam Frost, Adam O'Hare, AFON, Bat Conservation Trust, Bats, BBC, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Bees, Birds, Birmingham, Botany, Broom, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Bugs, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Challenge, Conservation, Conservationists, Countryfile, Countrylife, Countryside, CPRE, Cranesbill Geraniums, DEFRA, Digitalis purpurea, Do Something Great, Documentary, Environment, Environmental, Feeding Birds, For The Love Of, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Horticulture, Huawei, Insects, Invertebrates, June, Made in Birmingham, Meadow, Moths, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nature Reserve, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Ornithology, Outdoors, Presenting, Random Acts of Wildness, Rewildling, RSPB, Semirural, Spring, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, The Wildlife Trust, Timelapse, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wilder Future, Wildflower, Wildflowers, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife TV Presenter, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

I’m going to let the video (below) speak for itself 🙂

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 12 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 12, 2020Jun 12, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Local, Natural History, TV, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birder, Birders, Birding, Birds, Birdsong, Birdwatching, Birmingham, BTO, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Challenge, Conservation, Conservationists, Courtship, CPRE, Dawn Chorus, Days Out, Earth Capture, Encounter, Environment, Environmental, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Huawei, June, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nesting, NestWatch, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Ornithology, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Semirural, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, The Nest Record Scheme, The Wild Side, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wilder Future, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Vlog, WLT Bigger PictureLeave a comment

It has been great for Birdsong lately, hasn’t it? Since lockdown I have heard some great birds from the back garden 🎶

To be honest, I am already familiar with what song belongs to which bird 🙂

In my video I’ve labelled each birdsong / call 👇🏻

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 7 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 7, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Film, Garden, Local, Natural History, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birds, Birdwatching, Birmingham, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Challenge, Conservation, Earth Capture, Environmental, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Green Birmingham, House Sparrows, June, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Ornithology, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, Rewildling, RSPB, Semirural, Spring, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, The Urban Birder, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Art, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wilder Future, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Vlog, WildlifeKate, WLT Bigger Picture, World Land TrustLeave a comment

For a couple of weeks, since the bottom part of the flowerbed was dug over, I have observed House Sparrows having sand / dust baths & I thought to myself, I must get footage of this!

My attempts failed, at first, because they either didn’t turn up or I had just missed them, or it was raining 😅

However, today I thought I would give it another go and within about 5 minutes into recording they showed up & I got footage! 👇🏻

I plan on getting closer & better footage very soon!

Thanks for visiting ☺️

Day 2 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 2, 2020Jun 5, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Garden, Natural History, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, Artwork, BBC Wildlife, Birder, Birders, Birding, Birds, Birds of Prey, Birdwatching, Birmingham, Chris Packham, CPRE, Drawing, Earth Capture, Environmental, Film, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Get Your Boots On, Green Birmingham, Illustration, June, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature Art, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Ornithology, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, Raptors, RSPB, Semirural, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Art, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Vlog1 Comment

Whilst hanging out the washing today, I spotted a Spider that I don’t think I have seen before. It was green with orange legs & black stripes.

You can’t really make out the green body, but hoping somebody can still ID it for me?

Also, in the early evening, I decided to do a drawing, my best mate suggested this particular species 💚

Thanks for visiting! 🙂

Day 1 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 1, 2020Jun 5, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Insects, Natural History, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Wildlife, Birder, Birders, Birding, Birds, Birdsong, Birdwatching, Birmingham, Butterflies, Chaffinch, CPRE, Dawn Chorus, Earth Capture, Encounter, Environmental, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, Invertebrates, June, Moths, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Ornithology, Park, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Semirural, Spring, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, Waseley Hills Country Park, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

It’s that time of year again! To do something nature related & connect with the natural world every day in June, a “Random Act of Wildness” – as suggested by The Wildlife Trusts.

This morning I got up at 4pm to listen to the Dawn Chorus 💚 🐦 🎶 (Then went back to sleep 😆).

Yesterday I saw a lovely species of Moth in the Garden, for the first time, so I have included a video of that video too! 😀 🦋

In the early evening I went for a lovely walk with my Mom, around the Waseley Hills Country Park 🏞️ ❤️

You can make out the Malvern Hills AONB in the distance 😍

Thanks for visiting! ☺️

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! 😀