The Chelsea Flower Show

TUB admiring the orchids! (Penny Hayhurst)

Sanjika Perera Director of Sri Lanka Tourism with TUB (Penny Hayhurst)

TUB & Sanjika (Penny Hayhurst)

Now you may be wondering why an urban birder was stalking the decidedly middle class haunt known as the Chelsea Flower Show. Well, it was at the behest of the ultimate gentleman, Sanjika Perera of the Sri Lanka Tourism. I have always met this man glamourous places. Initially in the halls of Buckingham Palace, then within the Sri Lankan High Commission and today at the flower show.

He very kindly invited me to come and hang out at his orchid stand next to the jugs of Pimms. I was shocked to hear that some of the other guests that he had invited hadn't turned up and hadn't even bothered to call to say that they were not attending. Tickets are like gold dust and could have been given to other people. Some folks are so selfish.

It wasn't all bad for Sanjika though. Whilst hanging by his stand, he spotted Ringo strolling past. Not one for missing an opportunity, he grabbed the Beatle and got him to pose with him for a photo. Ringo even gave his classic victory sign. Somehow, this seemed to be a better find than the Robin I heard singing by the bandstand!

History is made!! My first Scrubs Red Kite!!

Red Kite - photographed in Wales (Russell F Spencer)

After years of waiting, years of quietly feeling extreme jealousy towards all the sites that surround Wormwood Scrubs scoring regular Red Kites, we finally broke our duck and produced not one but two separate birds during the London Natural History Society bird walk that I was leading on Sunday.

The weird thing was, when I met the group of c45 people and was giving them an introductory talk, I mentioned that one of the things that they needed to do was to keep an eye skyward because I fancied a Red Kite. We had walked practically three quarters of the way around the site and were on the last leg of the walk when I looked up to see a high soaring kite slowly drifting east. "Kite!!!" I shouted at the top of my voice, overwhelmed by the emotion of seeing my Scrubs bogey bird.

I made sure everyone got onto it as it slowly drifted across the beautiful blue midday skies. But then something else caught my attention, much lower down on the horizon not far above the rooftops to the south. It was another kite! I screamed yet again! It felt like a dream. I could barely speak for the next 20 minutes of the guided walk and I had to apologise to the group for my lack of commentary.

Where do I go from here? What other bird can I now reasonably wish for at The Scrubs? We've had amazing records over the years like an Ortolan, Wryneck, 3 Richard's Pipits, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Honey Buzzards, Osprey, Goshawk, Barn Owl, Bittern, Little Bunting, Ring Ouzel, Nightingale, Firecrest, Dartford Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and a Wood Warbler in 1980 which was before my time. That's 124 species in a park surrounded by urbanity with no standing water.

What can I wish for now? A shrike?

Summer in the city

Northern Lapwing chick (Phill Spamer)

Ahh, at last some proper sunshine kicking out some proper heat. I was strolling around town in shirt sleeves for the first time this year in the UK.

Had a couple of review books sent to me today including the Wildlife Trusts '152 Wild Things To Do' which is a very attractive, bright, colourful book listing 152 ways to enjoy nature. They suggest things from visiting the Isles of Scilly to finding daffodils in a wood. I thought that the photography looked great too. A very attractive little book. The other one that I received was Harper Collins' 'The Peregrine' by JA Baker which I shall tuck into in due course.

My favourite book at the minute is 'Bird Migration' by Ian Newton. I just can't put it down. I read it everywhere. I was once reading it whilst sitting on a bench the other day and a fella sat next to me and started asking questions about the book. He was well impressed after I regurgitated a couple of the facts that I had just read. He thanked me for enlightening him.

I have a very full week ahead with filming with the BBC's Natural History Unit on Monday and with BBC London on Thursday on the Tower for their Springwatch coverage the following week. Add to that the Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday night, a David Attenborough talk on Wednesday night Next week I have a dawn chorus event on the Thursday morning to launch the Wildlife Trusts book that I mentioned earlier.

However, this Sunday I am leading a walk around Wormwood Scrubs starting at 9.30am outside East Acton underground. So if you're in the hood......

A proper HB

Honey Buzzard (Stephen Daly)

After speculating over a suspect raptor seen whilst on my travels in Derby, it was great to be reacquainted with the real thing whilst on a vigil on Tower 42 today. The jizz was unmistakable; floppy though powerful flight in long broad wings that were held flat whilst gliding with downturned wingtips. Not to mention the long tail and genuinely small head. Read all about it and another bird found before I stepped onto the platform on the Tower 42 blog.

Shame it wasn't seen against a blue sky and as close as the one depicted.

Qu'est ce que c'est?

Buzzard? (Russell F Spencer)

This has been bugging me for the past 2 weeks. What is this raptor that I saw flying at very high altitude over Derby?

Any ideas?

Losers and winners

Design by Yvette Spencer

A lot has been said recently on other blogs about the London Bird Race sponsored by Transport for London. Needless to say, me and the Beddington boys managed to come second beaten by just 4 species by the London Wildlife Trust All Stars. But I think that we definitely won on the tee shirt stakes.

Out of all the 14 or so teams we had the sexiest logo without a doubt!

BBC Wildlife Magazine Readers Day

Had a great day hanging out with the readers and staff of BBC Wildlife in Slimbridge WWT yesterday. It was also fun to be with the WWT guys and of course awarding winning photographer, Danny Green - what a lovely man he was!

Dominic Couzens - writer, Sophie Stafford - editor & TUB (Russell F Spencer)

Mike Dilger, TUB & Dominic Couzens (Russell F Spencer)