In Which I Actually Went Outside And Saw Some Birds...

Conscious of the fact that I haven't really had much to blog about of late, I figured it's about time I posted something a little more topical (as nice as christmas biscuits are of course).

I saw some birds today. More specifically I saw a really big, dark and mean-looking gull sitting on the Thames in Rainham...


Tempted by the offer of lots of tea and a panini, me and the boy headed to Rainham for lunch, and got some pretty good views of a great skua floating downriver and flying back up a few times while we were there. Having very little patience for things like sea watching, seeing birds like this is always nice for me. Especially when I'm inside a nice heated visitor centre with a cup of tea. Awesome :) I don't think I'd pick a fight with this bird, he looks pretty mean and I'm told that they like to pick on gannets for fun.

It was cold and miserable, and I currently have a cold and was feeling a bit miserable, so didn't bother going onto the reserve but it looked good and wintery. Plenty of ducks, gulls and waders everywhere including at least 6 pintail on Purfleet pools. This is where you think I'd put a photograph of said pintail, but what with all of the cups of tea and the panini I forgot to take one. Instead, have a photo taken of a blue tit at Abberton in October which I don't think I bothered to write about because this person beat me to it. Also I was upset about the squirrel.


I went to Swanage for a couple of days after Christmas with the family, but hardly left the flat really so no news there. It was lovely and sunny the whole time though, so had a nice walk along the seafront. Just need to figure out a way of making money then I'm moving to the sea...


I'll try to make more of an effort to tell you more about birds and zoos in the new year. A trip to Thrigby Hall and Norfolk in January will help with this...

Update 2: Dorset

I can't be bothered to write up a proper post about our trip to Dorset a couple of weeks ago with the Boy, so have some nice pictures...

When it wasn't raining we managed to find some time to go to Portland Bill, Abbotsbury and to the interesting side of Brownsea Island.








But kids, don't forget. Nature is dangerous. Mind the sharp edges...


Or this guy will get you.

Me again

Hello, remember me? Not really been out and about chasing wildlife as much as usual of late, and so haven't had much to tell you about. Add that to the fact when I get home I generally just fall asleep, what I have had to tell you never quite made it online.

I went to Dorset a couple of weeks ago with my mum, and it was pretty good really. Didn't do much birding to speak of, but we did walk from Swanage to Corfe along that big Chalkhill ridge which eventually turns into Old Harry Rocks/ the Needles.

Corfe Castle is a bit cool really...

Poole Harbour as seen from just outside Swanage.

There were a fair few swallows and martins zipping around the fields as we walked along. Plenty of stonechats and many other birds that I didn't stop for long enough to identify. Dorset also has big flocks of rooks/jackdaws, all of which seemed to take off in the air simultaneously at one point. Pretty impressive if slightly scary thing to witness... From being at such a relatively high vantage point we were able to see loads of kestrels, sparrowhawks and peregrines hunting below us. Oh and this guy sitting in a tree being very vocal.

Rargh I am loud Buzzard

On setting out on our walk, mum mentioned that she never really saw any butterflies anywhere anymore. Just to prove her wrong, I had a ridiculously productive lepidopterrific walk, especially considering that I didn't even have my book with me. Large white, small white, green-veined white, speckled wood, painted lady, gatekeeper and peacock butterflies made welcome usual appearances, but there were also hundreds of small heaths flitting around our feet, and loads of different blue butterflies that I couldn't really tell apart on my own.

Butterflies everywhere...

Small heath really are very very small...

Most exciting of all was one particularly pretty bright blue butterfly that was very obliging when I pointed my camera at it. I later checked it out in my book and am pretty certain it's an Adonis Blue. Now this is a pretty rare spot but everything seems to add up. The black marks around the edge of the wings together with the underwing pattern don't really point to anything else, plus the shade of blue is completely different to the usual purplish-hues of common blues. Plus the habitat requirement "short herb-rich turf on sunny south-facing downland slopes", with a distribution limited to pockets of south central England. Awesome.

Adonis Blue being very blue and adonis-like

We were a bit tired after our walk and big ploughmans pub lunch, so just took the train back home :)

To the coast for easter

Seeing as how I have to stay up late in the hope that TFL will update their system so I can sort out my lost oyster card before going into work tommorrow, thought I might as well update my blog :)


I managed to get away for a couple of days to Swanage with the parents this weekend, and was very lucky with the weather. Not great in terms of bird rarities, but some nice photo oppurtunities everywhere so thought I'd take advantage of the sunshine.

My parents don't really understand this whole nature and birding thing that I seem to like, so I thought going on a guided walk at Durlston Country Park (just down the road from our flat) might help to explain it, seeing as this is the perfect time of year for birds singing, trees in blossom etc etc etc... It was a shame then that said guided walk was run by a local with a penchant for folksong and different species of sedge and grass (there are many in case you were wondering) rather than pointing out the more "sexy" species they have on their site. I was hoping to get some tips particularly on bird song, but no such luck. Even so, we saw some pretty interesting stuff...

Green veined orchid. Not pictured: the green veins. You will have to trust me on this :)

Spider orchid

There weren't really any birds pointed out that I hadn't already noticed and told my parents about already (skylark, blue tit, chiff chaff...) but there were heaploads of stonechats perched on fences/gorse bushes looking particularly stunning, and hopping around with nest material.

Stonechat with a goldfinch (please note actual real life lighthouse and everything)

We spent sunday on the beach for a bit being annoyed by some posho's on jetskis, before going on our climb up to the top of old harry, you know just because.

old harry rocks from ballard down.

It's nice once you're there, but can't say I've never been much of a fan of hills. I blame growing up in Essex :)

Umm, can't think of a link but here is some gorse, it's very pretty no?


PS Anybody know what this is?!



This bird was calling repeatedly for hours on end, always staying just out of your line of view and hiding as soon as you got out your camera or binoculars. Bastard.

Anyway, TFL are still being annoying so I am giving up and going to bed. Hope this post wasn't too plant-heavy for you bird lovers :)

This Week I Went to The Seaside...

And surprisingly it was quite sunny.


Turns out unless you like walking around the countryside, there isn't much to do in Dorset in January, as most places are closed for the quiet season. This didn't prove too much of a problem, apart from it taking quite a long time to find anywhere to get food, and a failed attempt to reach Brownsea Island. For future reference, don't bother getting the Poole ferry to pick up the Brownsea boats until March.

Anyway, we saw some pretty cool things while we were away. One of my favourites was probably , and a female peregrine hunting off the cliffs at Durlston.



Me and this person spent Friday on Portland Bill which is a very strange place. Three prisons, a whole pile of quarries and winds strong enough to knock you off your feet all year round doesn't really strike me as the ideal place for a holiday destination, but the holiday camp begs to differ. Had some nice views though...


We found this on the way there too- quite famous I hear?

(chalk horse, not a real one)

On Saturday we retreated to Arne after our failed attempt at getting to Brownsea Island, thinking at least that way we could gaze forlornly across the harbour at it. Very busy, lots of birds, but also some other awesome stuff. We stood around and watched a whole field full of deer ruunning around and leaping over fences which was pretty awesome. Usually the best view of a deer you can hope for is an ear poking out from behind a tree half a mile away.

(real cow, not a chalk one)

These posts take ages to put together. Hopefully in future I will bother to edit my photos a bit more and say actually say something interesting.

Camera is coming to work with me tommorrow, to see what I can find.

99 on my year list so far... The challenge continues :)