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:
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:
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 was very happy to be there!
I love a good Log Pile and what an amazing extensive one this is!Top Nature of the Day:
That’s the Bittern Hide in the distance said Orchid Observing the Stone-Curlew (in the distance) Sand Martin colony Sea ThriftAt 5.00PM it was time to load the car up and get ready for Springwatch UNSPRUNG!
Cueing up for Unsprung with Gary Waiting to be let into the Studio! To see me on UNSPRUNG click here!
I should hopefully be making a series of short videos very soon, for Big Centre TV. The series will be entitled Wild West (Midlands) and it will showcase the greenspaces, wildlife and naturalists that are in and around the West Midlands.
To introduce me to their audience they asked me to come in on the 24th for a live studio interview, to discuss what families in the West Midlands can get up to this Easter Holiday, surveys and seasonal wildlife.
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.
#30DaysWIldToday I was sorting out the blog for yesterdays Random Act of Wildness – “Admire the setting Sun”, it was raining and I had work later. I wasn’t really left with many options, due to the constraints (time and weather). So, I chose to read a non-fiction book on the bus to work (wildlife related of course).
Refreshing my knowledge and filling in any gaps. The bird on the front of the book is an American Goldfinch, it’s just a funky Siskin to us Brits 😛 I really like the first two paragraphs in the introduction for Section One of the book, so I’ve quoted them below:
Birds are not only one of the most successful groups in the animal kingdom but they hold a special position in our awareness of the natural world. They are often the most obvious living creatures in a landscape (their apparent confidence borne of an ability to fly to safety) and their bright colours and melodic songs have long been admired by man. Yet it is only recently that we have begun to fully appreciate just how intricate their lives are.
The 8000 or so species of birds have evolved over millions of years and have adapted to many different modes of life. If one was to take a single feature which places the birds apart from all other animals it would be the development of feathers. These complex and delicate structures not only make flight possible but also serve many other functions, notably providing insulation from cold or wet and furnishing attractive or eye-catching plumages for use in courtship and territorial rituals.
Such great facts! ❤ What a top way to introduce readers to a book all about birds.
I have to stop myself from quoting more paragraphs, so I’ll just quote one more. From the top of page 8:
Birds have lived on earth for far longer than man or any of the mammals. When giant dinosaurs roamed the world, there were already many kinds of birds inhabiting the forests, and wetlands and the marine environment. They included some types which we would recognise today, such as grebes, herons and waterfowl. In fact, it seems that birds are probably descended from small dinosaurs called coelurosaurs which ran standing up on their hind legs and balancing with their tails, much as birds do today. Compsognathus is a typical coelurosaur.
This book was published in 1989 by The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited. It has 3 sections in all; Biology of Birds, Bird Habitats of the World and Bird Families of the World – covering all aspects. It has a mixture of stills and illustrations, I think it’s a brilliant book.
#30DaysWildFor day 18, I decided I would take a picture of whatever caught my eye. The first thing that did, was a lovely Green Shield Bug! 🙂
A Green Shield Bug perched on my parents livingroom window.Later I went to visit my friend Laura’s pet shop, CavyNoodle Pets UK – in a village called Rubery. The shop more or less has a Wildlife Garden out back, where various wildflowers pop up. The Sweet Pea below, stood out to me.
This Sweet Pea is growing wild, so its’ flowers and leaves are larger than the cultivated varieties.On the way back, I remembered the Shinning Cranesbill I passed on the walk down to Rubery was very red! So on my way back up, I snapped a couple pictures.
It’d be really cool, if this whole path was lined with red Shinning Cranesbill! A closer view for you.These particular plants are red in colour due to the dry weather – therefore are nutrient starved, shutting down/stopping chlorophyll production and going to seed quite early. The remaining sugars in the leaves give it its’ red pigment. In away, the sugars have caramelised 😀
(I’m using my phone to do this blog entry) I was at work early today and had to do a couple errands when I finished, then it rained continuously. I had already danced in the rain.
#30DaysWild So I was left trying decide what to do, sat in my parents kitchen, when my Dad said he had came across another interesting insect at work…
What is it? It looks like a Beetle-Cricket-Hybrid, haha! …Is it just a Cricket? Its’ top/back half.
My Dad has came across various creepy crawlies at work, some living and some dead. The Cricket thing is the second specimen he has came home with, below is the first.
A Small Elephant Hawk-moth! 🙂 I love its’ patterning/colours. There is always perfection in nature.
Thanks 🙂
Today my friend Gary (mentioned in previous posts) and I visited the Wolseley Centre – Staffordshire Wildlife Trust HQ!
We’ve had great day, the weather was wonderful. We both hadn’t been before. I was impressed by the variety of habitats (grassland, lakes, rivers and woodland) and species.
Today’s challenge was “invite a friend into nature”, but it was also chance for Gary to brush up on his photography skills (I shall document what we saw below!) And in line with the challenge, I did my best to teach Gary about all the various creatures we came across and the bird songs we heard.
We saw Swallows and House Martins flying above the centre.
And this Bee and Bumble Bees on the Purple Wallflower at the entrance of the centre.
Not seen Honeysuckle in such a deep yellow before 🙂
Gary and myself before our wild walk. Photobombed by a Mallard! 😉
Whilst Gary looked through my binoculars, I told him about what he was observing (nice shirt!)
A wild sculpture!
This time we were photobombed by a Canada Goose! 😉
If you remember, I love Oak Trees! This individual has been adopted by Philip Rainsbury and Sue Haycock 🙂
Can you spot the baby Rat?
Gary’s first ever Chaffinch – to his knowledge 😛
One of my favourites of Gary’s snaps, a Great Tit in flight.
Some grassland management (I have the camera now)
We were watching a male Blackcap.
A disheveled Peacock Butterfly (by me)
A Common Blue Butterfly (Gary has his camera back)
But who took this one?!
Willow seeds settled on the pond.
Giant Leaves, Giant Snail!
A Terrapin?! I was surprised to see this. Taken by Gary with a lens kindly lent by a very friendly chap from Stoke (walking past)
St. John’s Wort.
A stunning sculpture – very talented work!
There’s still a little bit more for us to explore, looking forward to the next visit! 😀
Today I went a 30 minute walk along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal from Selly Oak, heading south towards Bournville 🙂
I’m not against cyclists, at all, but it would have been a lot more peaceful – and easier to take photos – if I didn’t have to get out of the way of people on bikes every 2 minutes! 😛
A person on their bike in the distance.
Along the way I heard plops in the water, a couple times I hoped it was a Water Vole, but it turned out to be fish. I didn’t see much Wildlife, the odd Moorhen and Mallard – so I decided to focus on the flora I came across and just before I came to end of my walk I came across something I deem as special. Below is what I saw:
Urban art, with a crumbling wall and wildflowers – I think it looks beautiful.
I love seeing plants growing out of walls, likes this Fern and Buddleja.
Look! Red hot pokers! (Kniphofia)
I also love seeing strips of Wildflower like this – Poppies, Plantains and Daises
I’m used to seeing this at Wetland Reserves, such as Upton Warren – Yellow Flag Iris.
I had to pass under a couple of bridges.
Honeysuckle – one of my favourites, unusually growing out of the side of the bank.
And here it is again, this time growing somewhere more typical.
A closer view for you.
Forget-me-not (and Cleavers to left)
Just as my allocated 30 minutes was coming to an end, I came across this beauty below! 😀
A Purple Orchid (unsure as to specific species/variety).
Canned Wildlife 
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