Day 25 (YD) & Day 26 – 30 Days Wild

Day 25 

I’m going to the Lake District on Saturday (Day 27) for a week.  I shall be staying in a National Trust Cottage in Little Longdale near Coniston 🙂  So I made sure I was all organised for my trip to Cumbria!  I’m pleased I will be spending the last few days of 30 Days Wild in a stunning part of the UK!

All packed for my trip to The Lakes!
 

Day 26 – “Save a life”

I’ve allowed what I believe to be a Thistle (and a wee Doc plant) grow in my plant pot; which also contains a baby Pineapple plant (the original inhabitant) on my windowsill at my house-share.  I shall consider this as saving a life 😉  

 Thanks 🙂

Day 24 – 30 Days Wild

Behind the Scenes: Video for the Wild

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I chose the mystery location for yesterdays’ video, because I grew up a short walk away from it and was inspired by an episode of Countryfile where Anita Rani showcases rural Bradford 😛  Incase you’ve not seen the video, I’ll not ruin the ‘surprise’ with naming it.  It’s where I cut my teeth as a child and naturalist, so to speak and over the years I’ve seen loads of wildlife there, a few firsts, which includes the time I saw my first Weasel as a child!  Yesterday my friend Gary and I observed a Kestrel and Jay up there.

In the second shot of the intro to my video, I’m on the top of Rubery Hill/Cock Hill, with the Frankley countryside and suburb in the background, there are more great views from up there; the Lickey Hills, Rubery and Bromsgrove in the distance – plus the country park I reveal in my video 😉

When we were filming near Frankley Beeches wood, we heard and saw a beautiful male Yellowhammer – it’s the second time I’ve seen one in Frankley, (I’ve mainly distantly heard their song now and again) so I decided to record and feature this Yellowhammers’ song as the soundtrack for the video.  We could also hear the beautiful song of the Skylark in the distance, down near Lower Hill Farm.  On New Street, near the Greenbelt just before Frankley Hill Lane (which leads up to the Frankley Beeches Wood) I saw a partly Leucistic male Blackbird collecting worms, I almost mistook it for a Ring Ouzel!

**Yesterdays’ Video for the Wild** 😀

Today I observed a male and female House Sparrow feeding on aphids from the wee Willow Tree that’s in my parents garden.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Video

Day 23 – 30 Days Wild

Video for the Wild

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My favourite local patch – and why it matters to me:

Ode to a Secret River – the poem I mention in the video.

Thanks for visiting 😀

Day 22 – 30 Days Wild

“Snap a picture of something blue”

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A nice easy one today 🙂  I spent most of my day with my friend Laura at her Pet Store.  I’ve mentioned the shops’ unkempt Wildlife Garden in a previous Blog post, it’s where I took todays’ “something blue”.

The modest Forget-me-not.
The modest Forget-me-not.

I’ve heard Forget-me-nots being described as “a British staple” – they do seem quintessentially British 😉

The CavyNoodle Wildlife Garden.
The Sweet Peas are doing well in the CavyNoodle Wildlife Garden.

Thanks 🙂

Day 17 – 30 Days Wild

(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.  

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  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 🙂

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Day 14 – 30 Days Wild

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I got back from work (I don’t usually work on Sundays) and I didn’t have to wait long until I was eating a lovely Roast Dinner made by my Mum.  Afterwards my Dad said a newspaper he read earlier had something about birds nesting on a roof – he kindly fetched it for me…  I was appalled by what I read!  So as of a few minutes ago, I did “send a letter to your local newspaper” – one of the suggestions in the 30 Days Wild booklet.

I e-mailed the newspaper, this is what I sent:

Dear Sunday Mercury/J Taylor,

Firstly, Peregrines are Falcons – not Hawks.  They haven’t and won’t decimate Songbirds.  Also, not all ringed birds are Pigeons and are ‘owned’ by people.

Secondly, they are ‘native’ and are protected due to the years of persecution on Raptors (Birds of Prey) from a minority of small minded people – with unfair unrealistic outdated views.

Thirdly, Peregrines have moved to where their food is, due to the affects us humans have on the natural world – they are originally Coastal Birds (mostly), like Rock Doves a.k.a Racing/City/Feral Pigeons.

Lastly, a Peregrine is only doing what is natural in nature – keeping and racing Pigeons is not.  The RSPB conserve all nature equally.

Adam Canning

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Thanks for reading 🙂