West Midlands – Page 5 – Canned Wildlife

Day 11 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 11, 2016Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Video, VlogTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Challenge, Conservation, Environment, My Wild Life, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, Springwatch, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Trusts2 Comments

Join a wild group

11/06/16

Today I chose to join a wild group – it isn’t in the list of Acts of Wildness (which I thought it was), but then again I do like to come up with my own activities.

The group I joined is called A Focus On Nature – in short – the group is an organisation that brings young wildlife lovers (aged 16-30 years old) together, thus creating a network for young naturalists. They organise all kinds of events (from social to educational) and offer career support.

It was about time I joined really – I am a relatively young ecologist and wildlife filmmaker etc!

I wonder what I’ll do tomorrow…

Thanks! ☺️

Day 10 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 11, 2016May 27, 2020Posted in BBC, Birds, Challenge, Environmental, Nest, TV, Video, Vlog, WorkTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, BBC Wildlife, Birds, Birmingham, Challenge, Environment, Film, My Wild Life, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, Springwatch, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife TrustsLeave a comment

“Watch a wild webcam”

10/06/16

Today I was at work 9AM-5PM, so I needed another easy Random Act of Wildness, so I arrived at work with enough time to get breakfast and watch the Springwatch Webcam(s) in the staff canteen.

After I was done watching, I left the channel on, so somebody would find a live-stream of wildlife at work, and would maybe watch, enjoy and become a fan of Springwatch/become more interested in nature, if they’re not already! 😉

After a while, the chicks started emerging from their hidey-hole

Thanks for visiting. 😊

Day 9 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 9, 2016Posted in Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Countryside, Environmental, Farm, Garden, Insects, PlantsTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birding, Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Countryside, Environment, Insects, Meadow, My Wild Life, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, Springwatch, The Wildlife Trust, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife TrustsLeave a comment

“Wear a flower behind your ear”

09/06/16

Today I helped out at Cranesbill Nursery – it’s a lovely company that sells Hardy Geraniums. ‘Cranesbill’ is the common name for a Hardy Geranium, and there were plenty of Bees buzzing around them today. Many of the varieties on the nursery are in flower at the moment, and they are fantastic for creating that rich micro-climate for wildlife in your garden. The plants are very diverse – they come from all over the world – so the good thing about them is that you can literally find one for every part of the garden, and because they come from a variety of climates, by mixing them up within your borders, you can ensure that you have flowers from very early in the growing year, until late Autumn, therefore providing a food source for wildlife for a very long period. So naturally I put a flower behind my ear. 😉

The nursery is located on a farm – just on the edge of South Staffordshire – where I observed Swallows, Skylarks, House Sparrows, baby Rabbits, Moths and Butterflies (as well as the Bees).

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 7 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 7, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in BBC, Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Film, Local, Plants, Video, VlogTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Bees, Birmingham, Broom, Challenge, Conservation, Do Something Great, My Wild Life, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, Semirural, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Trusts, WorcestershireLeave a comment

Wildlife Gardening

07/06/16

I thought it would be a good idea to combine a 30 Days Wild activity, with the BBC’s Do Something Great campaign! My parents needed some Broom planting, so I used this opportunity to my advantage – for a quick video:

Thanks. 🙂

Day 6 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 6, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Farm, Greenbelt, Local, Video, VlogTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birmingham, Challenge, Conservation, Countryfile, Countryside, Environment, Film, Flora, Frankley Beeches, Meadow, My Wild Life, Random Acts of Wildness, Semirural, Springwatch, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife Trusts, WorcestershireLeave a comment

Green Birmingham

Finally! I’ve managed a blog on the actually day! Well it’s night now, but you know what I mean! 😄

06/06/16

The weather was gorgeous today – so on my way back from my parents, I decided to film a stretch of road I grew up near (using my phone); showing off the fields, trees and farmland I used to explore and play around, thus showing how Green Birmingham is! I still enjoy a good walk around there, passing from the Suburb into the Country, and there are parts of it still left to be explored by me. 💚

I love the Greenbelt in my feature image and my video below – if houses are ever built there, it would surely break my heart… 💔 Just the thought of it makes me extremely upset… Anyway! There’s a meadow, which you see a bit of (it has the Oak Tree almost in the middle) – I have seen a few of my first ever Butterflies in that very field!

I should also mention; the video features a bit of road I filmed last night too…

Enjoy:

Thank you. 😊

Day 5 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 6, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Video, VlogTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, Birds, Birmingham, Challenge, Conservation, My Wild Life, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Springwatch, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, West Midlands, Wildlife, Wildlife At My Window, Wildlife Trusts2 Comments

Wildlife At My Window

05/06/16

For day 5 – I have decided to share with you, the wildlife I can see from my window.

Recently I set up a Window Bird Feeder, and all that I had visiting, was a lovely Great Tit – despite all the birds I get in the garden…

But with patience and a wee camera set to record, I got footage of a new visitor to my feeder! 😉

Thanks. 😀

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. 😄

Day 1 – #30DaysWild

Jun 1, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Local, Plants, Video, Vlog, Walk, WorkTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, BBC Midlands Today, Birmingham, Botany, Challenge, Conservation, Environment, Film, My Wild Life, Nature, Springwatch, The Wildlife Trust, Urban, Video, West Midlands, Wild June, Wild TimeLeave a comment

“Discover urban wildness”

Hello! I’m baaack! 😀 And so is Random Acts of Wildness!

I had work today at 7AM and finished around 2.30PM. Due to that and wanting to blog about what I’d do today, I needed something easy for my Act of Wildness. So of course, I was very pleased that I changed my usual route to work (as I needed to grab breakfast), because I ended up walking passed the Mini-Meadows in the video below!

I ran back after realising what I had saw! And then stood there watching a couple of bees (unsure which ones now) buzzing about the various flowers for a minute – whilst listening to a Blackcap singing in the background! 😃 When I got phone out to film, the bees had flown off, naturally! They must have been camera-shy 🐝 Unfortunately the sound didn’t record (I have a new phone and have sorted out the problem now), but luckily YouTube have provided a lovely soundtrack.

I believe the flowers that are featured most prominently in this video, are Red Campion, Meadow Buttercups and Oxeye Daisies. Correct me if I’m wrong! 👍🏻 🌺

I’m off to somewhere quite special tomorrow, I’ll give you a clue: a Nature Reserve (I’ve never been there before). I best go and pack! 😉

See you tomorrow, for Day 2!

Thanks.

First LIVE Studio Interview

Mar 27, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Amphibians, BBC, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Exploration, Garden, Interview, Local, Mammals, Reptiles, TV, Video, WorkTagged Adam Canning, Big Centre TV, Broadcast, Conservation, Easter, Environment, Fish Vote, Herptiles, Interview, Jack Perks, Journalism, My Wild Life, Nature, Ralph Lauren, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Springwatch, The Wildlife Trust, Video, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife2 Comments

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 is my first ever live studio interview:

Thanks. 😅