Posts yesterday - Poles today

I can't believe it!!

For two mornings in a row, I've dragged my carcass out of bed and drove myself down to The Scrubs for a quick hour's birding. It was a cold, crisp and sunny day. Perhaps that was the only thing of note to comment about this morning. Well, actually there were around 30 Meadow Pipits in the grassland and a majestic group of 4 Mute Swans headed serenely over.

After moaning for several days, I had an apologetic phone message later from the Council promising to next week move the pipit sign I was complaining about in yesterday's blog to the proper place that it should be at. I truly fear for the future of our precarious population as I can't see their breeding area recovering before they start setting up territory. What's more, it sadly seems likely that the grassland will not be made into part of the Local Nature Reserve that the wooded bits of The Scrubs enjoys.

Today was the day that I finished the Conwy RSPB article on my favourite walk, which is naturally The Scrubs. I will ship that over to them once I've given it the over night test. I called the editor of BBC Wildlife Magazine to see whether she had received the ideas that I emailed over for some articles that I'd like to write for them. She was up for meeting me, so I will be heading over to Bristol the week after next for lunch with her and her colleagues. 

Meanwhile, the editor of Bird Watching Magazine managed to secure a trip to Poland for me to write a piece on Urban Birding. Fantastic! Also, next weekend I'll be heading over to Paris to explore some of its urban sites for the magazine. I always get excited visiting new cities for birding purposes. Of course, I'm not a complete glutton for punishment, thus I will be squeezing in some time out of town to get a birding fix.

My thoughts and prayers go out to my friend Ciska Faulkner, a producer who whilst filminga commercial last week in Helsinki, Finland came down with meningitis and had to be flown back to London. She is currently in hospital. I wish her a speedy recovery.