Twittering twit

An Hudsonian Whimbrel's nape

I'm getting a bit more used to this Twitter business. I'm sharing some of my innermost trivial thoughts with my mass of 83 followers. I don't even understand what a follower is. Do they get alerted as to when you decide to impart some gem of knowledge? 

What I do know though is that I have some corporate followers; Birdguides, RSPB, London Wetland Centre and the Polish Tourist Board. With the latter, I assumed that I was being kept tabs on by an ex-Polish girlfriend. I quickly realised that it was because I will be heading out to Krakow in May as part of my urban birding series for Bird Watching Magazine.

Speaking of birdwatching, at lunchtime today I nipped over to The Scrubs to check on my potential Skylark family. I spent an hour standing by 'Pipit Heath' (my name for the area designated for the breeding pipits) watching and listening. I had 2 gorgeous male Northern Wheatears on the football pitches behind me, around 12 Meadow Pipits - but no sign of the Skylark, not even a call.

I hope that they are quietly getting on with their domestics.

Northern Wheatear

A male Northern Wheatear at The Scrubs

A trip to The Scrubs this morning resulted in finding one of my most anticipated summer migrants - a gorgeous male Northern Wheatear - which was the first for the year. These birds never fail to excite me and they have been showing up at my patch for as long as I've been pitching up here (the best part of 17 years).

Our Skylark was also still present, now singing a lot from the ground. A classic sign that breeding could be under way. I feel a lot more positive about their chances of successfully breeding because a lot of the dog walkers are keeping their animals under control in the area.

I forgot to mention that on Saturday I received Eric Simm's desk copy of 'Bird's of Town & Suburb' from his daughter. I was totally happy and it will now be a prized possession. 

Silence of the lamb

The Urban Birder in the country with Larry the lamb

Saturday started with a crushing defeat on the football pitch. We wont talk scores - let's just say that I had to scoop the ball from out of the back of the net rather too many times than I would have liked.

I skipped breakfast with lads (was too depressed anyway) and after a shower, journeyed to Harpenden, Herts to attend and speak at the Herts Bird Club Annual Conference. I was on last and gave a talk ostensibly about urban birding but entitled 'The Day I Fell In Love'. I basically spoke about some of my favourite world 'local' patches The Scrubs, Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles and Cape Clear, Co Cork, Eire. The talk went down well and I finished it by playing my The One Show Manchester Peregrine piece. I received two complimentary emails on my crackberry from attendees before I had even arrived home.

This morning I arose early and drove up to Top Lodge, Fineshade Woods to research for an article in the RSPB Birds magazine. I was well looked after hanging out with some RSPB folk. I attended a walk around the forest with a Forestry Commission Officer and around 30 people, some of whom with small kids. Due to the noise etc dipped on Adder but saw plenty of Red Kite, Buzzard and briefly saw 2 Raven.

After Sunday lunch at a quaint pub in an even quainter village called Duddington, I returned to Top Lodge partake in feeding the lambs on the adjoining farm - an activity normally reserved for the kiddies. I must say that the lambs were CUTE!! They were like little hooved puppies that readily allowed you to pick them up to feed them. I'm so glad that I didn't have lamb for lunch!

After my soft and squidgy moment with the lambs I was taken to the watchpoint hide (that overlooked a clearing and had feeders right outside the windows). Aside from an overflying Buzzard I was lucky enough to glimpse a close up Willow Tit - my first in ages.

Moth Man

Here's one I took earlier - last year to be precise

I forgot to say yesterday that after I traipsed around The Scrubs in the morning to no avail, I came across a moribund fox standing in the middle of the street. I approached it to within 5 feet before it wearily looked up at me and then dragged itself under a car, leaving its tail jutting out on the road itself. It was large, perhaps a dog fox, that must have been hit by a car.

Tonight, I was filmed mothing in Perivale Woods, west London by Birdguides. I had fun checking traps and 'sugaring' trees to attract the little beasties. I got 6 ticks, the names of which have totally escaped me!

Got home at a reasonable time and proceeded to work on my talk on urban birds that I am giving at the Herts Bird Club Annual Conference tomorrow afternoon.

Scream and shout

I'm not an angry person, although like most people I do get my pugnacious moments. But this morning I bore witness to one of the most naked and raw displays of angst and near demonic possession I have ever seen. And it emanated from a nine year old kid.

I had arrived at a primary school for special needs children in Hayes on the very fringes of west London to give a talk, having been invited up by a neighbour who was also the Head Teacher. He warned me that some of the kids were liable to 'kick off' at any point and that I was just to ignore it. Pre-warned, I sat with kids around a table to enjoy tea, toast and conversation with them. They seemed fine, though a couple did look visibly troubled. One kid refused to sit around the table with us, choosing instead to sit in the corner of the room facing the wall.

We cleared the table after, in preparation for my talk in the assembly room. I was helping a kid put the plastic table cloth away in an adjoining storeroom when I noticed that another child had climbed a bookcase by the wall (around six feet up) and was proceeding to climb through a small window. I was surprised, meanwhile the kid I was with doubted if his mate could get through the window with a nonchalance which made me do a double take. Swiftly, two teachers arrived to try and coax the kid down. At this point, the boy literally blew up; he screamed, cried and swore like I've never heard a nine year old swear all the while viciously lashing lashing out with his feet as he held onto an overhead pipe. 

My jaw was hitting the floor at this point. I tried to help but these guys have dealt with  this type of situation many times before. We were all ordered to clear the room whilst one teacher remained with the  deranged boy. He continued to scream and swear like someone was trying to murder him for a full ten minutes until the teacher managed to assuage his ire. Meanwhile, the other kids in the next room behaved like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

I eventually delivered my slideshow showing the amassed kids common birds that they were likely to see around their school and ended by playing them one of my The One Show pieces. They thoroughly enjoyed it.

I left the school wondering how the teachers were able to deal with that level of abuse and violence and how such a young kid could have so much hatred and bitterness within him. 

What kind of start in life has he had?

A very nice day

I had an amazing email from the late Eric Simm's daughter today. She thanked me for acknowledging her father's work and offered to send me his desk copy of Birds of Town and Suburb. I was totally bowled over! How amazing! I will treasure it for the rest of my life! 

This morning I visited the Berghaus store in Covent Garden, having been invited in via my agent to look at the latest lines. They told me that I can have whatever clothing I wanted, whenever. I'm am such a lucky boy!

On the way back, I momentarily parked on Great Malborough St near Carnaby St and was promptly reversed into by a workman's van causing damage to my driver's side wing.

C'est la vie.

Black Red

A speedy Black Redstart!

I made my near daily pilgrimage to The Scrubs in the bitter northwesterly wind. It was a find sunny morning though, if cold. Soon, myself and fellow Scrubber Roy Nuttall were enjoying a snatch of song from a highly mobile Blackcap and of course, our newly resident Skylark.

I also glimpsed our 4th ever Black Redstart along the embankment. Great stuff!