Meanwhile, back at The Scrubs

Spotted Flycatcher (Russell F Spencer)

I have been neglecting my local patch in a major way recently. Everytime the alarm goes off at silly-o-clock I just can't raise my eyelids let alone my head off the pillow. But last Sunday I dragged myself out of bed, albiet at 6.30 a tad late by my standards and hot-footed it to The Scrubs.

When I arrived it was one of those mornings when you could feel the autumnal magic. There was a soft westerly wind and it was slightly cloudy. There was little to see at first. The usual common suspects headlined by a flyover male Pied Wagtail and a couple of Collared Doves (a scarce bird here). By the time I had crossed the playing fields heading east to sift through the trees in the Southern Copse, I noticed that there was a bit activity with a fine Lesser Whitethroat popping out into the open.

The grassland back in the western end was a hive of activity. At least 20 Common Whitethroats were rummaging through the Blackthorn occasionally joined by upwards of 5 Lesser Whitethroats. As I was enjoying the scene, a 1st winter male Common Redstart suddenly popped up out of nowhere. It was our earliest returning autumn bird ever. I was well pleased. My pleasure was multiplied when I noticed a immature Whinchat sitting on top of a nearby shrub.

On the final part of my circuit I walked along the embankment which is shrouded in shrubs, gorse and some unsightly Hogweed. Whilst watching the parade of warblers interspersed with Linnets, Greenfinches and juvenile Starlings, 2 Spotted Flycatchers suddenly flew into view. A scarce migrant here, I was really made up now!

I must go birding more often!

Olympic Birding

Last week I had an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the Olympic Village alongside some of the key players that helped to build ecology into the site. I'll be writing a piece about in a forthcoming issue of Bird Watching Magazine.

I was very impressed at how well nature was integrated into the whole complex. It has to be said that once work is completed I think that it will make for a very interesting little urban patch. They have already recorded Short-eared Owl flying around inside one of the stadiums last winter and a Cuckoo this spring!

David Stubbs, TUB & Claire Holder (Ben Hurley)

TUB & some Waxwing food (David Stubbs)

The northern wetland area (David Stubbs)

Shoot at Lemsford Springs, Hertfordshire

I spent yesterday morning shooting two youtube films for Opticron about how to choose binoculars and digiscoping. Our location was the delightful Lemsford Springs Nature Reserve run by the Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust.

TUB & Opticron's Sarah Onacko (Pete Gamby)

Digiscoping (Pete Gamby)

Shooting (Pete Gamby)

RSPB Conwy Reserve - my 1st official book signing!

The roadshow has finally hit the trail and last weekend saw me at RSPB Conwy to help celebrate their centenary.

The day involved a two-teamed birdrace (my team lost by 3 birds!), co-leading a bird walk with Reserve Manager and good mate, Julian Hughes (who very kindly allowed me to stay at his house the previous night - despite being growled and spitted at by his big dog!) and of course, my first book signing.

TUB & the lovely Ruth Miller of the Biggest Twitch (Alan Davies)

The very first book being signed!

Our birdrace team

It was quite a weird experience signing my book for the first time, but luckily I had Ruth Miller and Alan Davies on hand - a couple of seasoned book signing veterans - who between them have signed loads of their book 'The Biggest Twitch', about their around the world record breaking trip seeing over 4,000 species in one year.

It's out!!

On a bookshelf near you!

Shoreditch House Private Members Club

Over the past few years I have been giving an increasing number of talks up and down the country as well as abroard. Most of the time it's to RSPB Groups, Wildlife Trust members or bird clubs but recently I have been speaking at some interesting non-wildlife venues speaking to people who readily admit that nature is not the first thing on their minds.

Tonight was such an occasion when I spoke to members of Shoreditch House (www.shoreditchhouse.com) about urban birding. It was to a group of mostly 30-somethings lying on sunbeds on the roof of the building. Fortunately, it was a fairly balmy evening with blue skies and at least there were plenty of Feral Pigeons, Lesser Black-backs and Herring Gulls to puntuate proceedings.

My audience were very attentive, a pleasure to talk to and were keenly interupting me to point at some distant speck behind me. I thoroughly enjoyed myself especially when a pair of Greenfinchs and a calling Grey Wagtail variously bounced overhead. It was just nice to spread the word about urban nature to the target audience I most like speaking to.

Farewell to an old Scrubber!

Anders Price (Russell F Spencer)

Anders & TUB on Tower 42

Wormwood Scrubs lost a birding soldier today to the bosom of the United States, Washington State to be exact. Anders has been a loyal Scrubber for the past two years after arriving on these shores a husband to an American Diplomat who was on secondment in the UK. In the mornings when she made her way to the embassy he would cycle down to The Scrubs for a spot of birding. Indeed, our paths first crossed a couple of years ago when he came down to see a migrant Spotted Flycatcher that had pitched down on our beloved patch.

Since then he became a steadfast member of the birding team, discovering our first ever Great Grey Shrike (whilst I was marooned on The Azores last October sob sob) and the finder of our third ever Woodlark. I knew that he was ultimately going to leave the fold last year when he first got wind of the possibility of his family returning home. I put it to the back of mind, rueing the day. But that day has finally come.

Good luck Anders mate. Hopefully I will make it to your new US patch one day, but in the meantime, thanks for being such a great Scrubber!