I found a White Wagtail today!

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The Devonshire sun rose behind a blanket thick cloud that had previously been filled with rain. The morning also found me not searching bushes down at Dawlish Warren but flitting between my bed and my nearby computer. I just couldn’t motivate myself enough to settle down and complete my by now overdue RSPB Birds magazine article on my recent visit to Top Lodge in Northants.
After a posh breakfast at the hotel I was staying in, St Olaves Hotel (www.olaves.co.uk in case you want to check it out) I strolled through the streets of Exeter to the local RSPB office. I met up with Tony Whitehead the RSPB Public Affairs Officer and Claire Thomas the tourism officer. We all checked out a nearby Peregrine perched on the cathedral before Tony & I went ‘green’ and took a train to nearby Topsham to visit Bowling Green Marsh. We picked up an Osprey, Swallows, Sand & House Martins, over 120 Black-tailed Godwits, at least 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, a gorgeous Little Gull and I found a male White Wagtail.
We decided to nip down quaint Topsham’s High Street, replete with a retro butchers shop and an ultra-tidy greengrocers, to grab tea and scones. Unbelievably, I bumped into an ex-boss of mine in the street from my magazine publishing days whom I haven’t seen for coming on 14 years!
I left Exeter at around 3.30pm. I decided to forgo visiting a nearby site for Cirl Bunting and Woodlark and instead journeyed into neighbouring Somerset to call in on Stephen Moss and his family. Stephen of course, used to be Bill Oddie’s producer and apart from knocking out the odd book or three, he produces/directs some of The One Show stuff that I do.
I got home a tired fella at around 9pm

Clotted cream

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The Urban Birder at Dawlish Warren, Devon

It chucked it down with rain last night, so much so that I thought that today – the day I was traveling to Exeter – was going to be a complete washout. As it happened, by around 8.30am it was looking decidedly sunny. So, instead of hitting the motorway to get to Devon in good time, I popped over to The Scrubs in the vain hope of finding a wayward Ring Ouzel.

No such luck, although I did encounter a male Northern Wheatear (the 5th this spring) and most surprisingly, a Weasel that scampered across my path near the embankment into the nearby bramble patch. This is one animal that I certainly do not associate with cities.
I eventually left for Devon at 12.30pm and arrived in the Exeter area at around 4.15pm. I by-passed my hotel and headed directly for Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve, a place that I have always read about but never visited. Situated about 8 miles outside Exeter, I never expected it to be placed on the edge of a caravan park nor near so much habitation. Whilst birding the area I bumped into Kevin Rylands, co-author of The Birds Of Dawlish Warren and keen patchwatcher. He filled me in about this interesting coastal reserve, but check it out at: www.dawlishwarren.co.uk
Knackered, I drove back to my posh hotel that was sussed out for me by the Tourist Board to rest my weary head. The plan tomorrow is to hook up with the local RSPB man who will guide around the avian delights that Exeter has to offer – hopefully including some lovely Cirl Buntings.

Stockpile

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Today was a fairly good day in The Urban Birder Towers. I had my trips to Budapest and Krakow confirmed. I’m going to spend 4 days in both cities, plus I’m off to Exeter tomorrow for a couple days. Hopefully, come June I should have a nice stockpile of articles for Bird Watching Magazine.

And the day was kicked off by sighting my beloved Skylark in the grassland at The Scrubs.
More days like this please.

A happy ending?

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Short-eared Owl – Andy Cook

This morning at 7am I held a vigil at the ‘Pipit Heath’ area on The Scrubs in the hope that I’d see a Skylark. I had an hour so the clock was ticking. After an initial stillness I began to notice a few Meadow Pipits flying around. At least they were still happy enough. In the sky heading in from the west I noticed a silhouette that I was strangely familiar with. Raising my bins I was suddenly aware that I was watching an owl. A Short-eared Owl. Our sixth record in 17 years. 

I watched it through my scope for a full 5 minutes as it drifted over doing a circuit of the Scrubs and for once, unmolested by crows. By this point I had my back to the grassland. My attention on the owl was broken my the unmistakable call of a Skylark. I swung around to see a calling Skylark fluttering over the grassland fairly near to me before dropping down into the area close to where I thought its nest was. Seeing the lark made me more happy than seeing the owl. 
My theory now is that yesterday’s southerly departing lark was the lover of the male of the established pair that was leaving early to get back to her partner! Anyway, my heart was lifted.
I’m planning a trip to Exeter, Devon on Wednesday and Thursday to research an urban birding article for Bird Watching Magazine although I hear that we have some mighty rain heading our way. Funnily enough, I had a email from the editor of the magazine, Sheena Harvey, saying that I’d been invited to Helsinki to explore the birding out in that city. I’ve had the good fortune to have already birded in the city last August. The best bird was probably the Pied Flycatcher I found in a non-descript park that was close to my hotel, but my overriding memory of the city was the multitudes of Common Gulls and Oystercatchers strolling on every available bit of green.

A heavy heart

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I feel very protective towards the Meadow Pipits and the Skylark pair at The Scrubs that are trying to breed – as you know. I have developed such a strong urge to conserve these birds that I would usually think nothing of confronting any dog walker who had the misfortune to have strayed into the grassland.
Today proved to be one battle too many that left me feeling battered and distressed. First there was the guy who showed a blatant disregard for the sign that clearly requested that he stuck to the recognised paths. The fact that we was walking a burly Rottweiler didn’t deter me. Although he initially gave me an attitude when I asked him if he could read, he at least said sorry. I also powerlessly watched from a distance, a couple of individuals march directly through the Skylark breeding area. One was a woman with 3 dogs, the other a guy who was clearly short-cutting.
Then the low-flying model aircraft started up, skimming the tops of the grass. Then the thing that I feared the most happened. A Skylark launched itself from the grass in a vertical flight that made me initially think that it was about to burst into song, indeed it did call. But then, after gaining a fair height, it started to head south. I watched it until it was a small dot.
I felt upset, frustrated, angry and extremely defeated all at the same time. I managed to convince myself that I did all that I could and that maybe, just maybe my Skylark might come back.
I’ll go in the morning to find out.

Not model behavior

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From a footballing point of view, this Saturday was a far better day than the previous four Saturdays because we actually won! In fact, I even scored a goal! It was a penalty that I took. Slotted it into the right hand corner!

After breakfast, I nipped down to the Wormwood Scrubs Fun Day organised for the local populace in order for them to sample the ‘natural-ness’ of the area through face painting and the usual activities you get at these occasions. I lasted 10 minutes. Thereafter, I sloped off to check on the Skylarks in the grassland. 
I was horrified to see a group of 5 large muscled geezers flying their model aircraft often inches above the grass. A Kestrel made the misfortunate decision to start hovering over the grassland. As soon as the twats saw it they trained their planes onto it, buzzing it as it tried to hunt. Incensed, I turned to talk to them. But when I saw the size of some of the men’s muscles I thought better of it and gritted my teeth instead.
I’d like to think that if their planes were buzzing an Eskimo Curlew that I would have intervened.

Invisible Girl

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Lancaster Gate skies, west London – Kim Dixon

The last couple of days have been quite interesting and were made doubly nice by the wonderful spring weather.

In a nutshell, I have two possible presenting gigs outside of The One Show coming up very soon for two different shows. I will let you know all about them once I’ve been given the green light. The latest in my ‘Lindo At Large’ series has just been posted on the Birdguides’ website http://birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1608. Also, one of the TV series treatments that I wrote when the devil was a boy has been  taken up by Icon Films in Bristol with a view to being developed if I can attach a couple of A-list celebs to it. So I’m gonna have to seriously stalk and work the Notting Hill set!
Last night I attended Stephen Moss’ launch of his book ‘The Bumper Book of Nature’, outside in the Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum. His book is a comprehensive list of suggestions to get kids out exploring the environment. The sentiment is good because so many kids are content to sit indoors in front of a screen playing a computer game. I met Peter Holden of the RSPB there. He is a veteran birder whose still active within the RSPB. He’s written tons of books and first came under my radar as the editor of the YOC magazine ‘Bird Life’ when I was a wee nipper.
This morning I had to forgo checking up on my beloved Skylark to have a posh breakfast at The Dorchester instead (shucks!). I’m the Vice-President of the Association of Celebrity Assistants (long story) and I had organised this event nearly 3 months ago. It was lovely – all very posh but the ladies who run things there were delightful.
Tonight, I had dinner with a mate that I have known for over 10 years. He had managed to hide his ‘new girlfriend’ away from me for 8 months. Previously, he’d promise me that we’d all hook up and invariably the meeting would be cancelled. I was beginning to think that she was a figment of his imagination – an invisible girl. She was actually a very nice girl, which made me wonder why he hadn’t introduced me to her before in the first place. 
To crown it all, not only did I meet her but he also announced that they were getting married! My custard drenched apple and rubbarb crumble duly went down the wrong hole.

Twittering twit

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

Stealing

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It was a slightly blustery, grey and generally chilly morning at The Scrubs, throughout my visit. To be frank, I wasn’t really in the mood. Despite that, I clocked our first Blackcap – a male gripping to a Blackthorn twig for dear life as the wind whipped up. It burst into a mini song before flitting off. I saw a total of around 4 birds.

The Skylarks were still present and I watched the male as it fluttered up vertically to around 10ft to start singing, only to be chased off by an angry Meadow Pipit. Which reminds me, I must pull my reference books out to check out the Skylark ecology.
I received a lovely email from Eric Simm’s son this morning. I was quite honoured to be contacted by a member of his family. In my response email I confessed to stealing his late father’s ‘Birds of Town & Suburb’ from my local library, when I was eight. 
Was I a bad boy?

Don’t mention the football!

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I arose at a very early hour and found myself at The Scrubs at 6am in the company of accomplished bird artist, Jan Wilczur. He called me last night to ask if I could escort him around my ‘garden’ so that he could look at the habitat management with a view to going back to his local patch – Richmond Park in south London – with some ideas for the people who manage his patch. 

Overall, he was impressed with The Scrubs and found himself being pleasantly surprised by the area’s beauty and by the uniqueness of our grassland. He gushed about The Scrub’s c5 pairs of Meadow Pipit and the general abundance of undergrowth around the site. Unfortunately, the deer in his park put paid to the possibilities of any extensive areas of undergrowth.
Bird-wise, we saw a distant probable Peregrine, around ten Meadow Pipit, our Skylark pair, 3 Chiffchaff, c6 Jackdaw (scarce here), 2 Stock Dove and at least 50 Herring Gulls, most of whom were coasting the thermals overhead.
It was a beautiful, if cold, day today and seeing as it was Mothering Sunday I dropped into my mums bearing flowers and a small present. We chewed the fat for the rest of the afternoon which was only spoilt by the constant background bickering that emanated from the Eastenders episode on the box.

Making hay

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Okay, there has been better Skylark pictures taken!

This morning I was driven by an immovable force to rise out of my bed at 5.45am, despite feeling totally knackered, to check on the pair of Skylarks currently residing at The Scrubs. These birds are more special to me than any vagrant (at this point) and even after seeing a pair of Shoveler (the second ever here) did nothing to dampen the excitement my Skylarks are giving me.

I watched the male in full song flight, semi-song flight, pursuing neighbouring Meadow Pipits and even being pursued by a crow (that it thankfully easily out manoeuvred). Meanwhile, I watched the female quietly fly up only to land closeby, no doubt running the rest of the way to it’s nest. I’m going to have to dig out the late, great Eric Simms’ ‘Pipits and Larks’ to learn more about their ecology.
Back home, I finally ran out of patience with my web designer. Everytime I issue him with instructions to update my site I always end up having to ring him two or three times after to get him to correct his sloppy work. The latest of which was to upload an upsidedown picture of a Bell Miner. He’s gone on holiday for a couple of weeks. On his return I will be waving goodbye to him.
At 6pm I went to The One Show studios ostensibly to try and meet with tonight’s guest Ricky Gervais to ask him to get involved with a wildlife TV programme idea that I have had. Despite all odds and my initial nervousness about the whole plan, I managed to chat with him after the show. He was a nice fella. We discussed the Sparrowhawk that he had had in his garden, at which point I pulled out my phone and played him the call. He was most impressed. Anyway, he asked me to sent my idea to his assistant so that he could look over it. 
Result!
I must categorically state here that Adrian Chiles is a lovely bloke and Christine Bleakley is as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside. She is totally down to earth, humble and exactly the same as she was when I first spoke with her, nearly two years ago.
The moral of today’s tale: nothing ventured nothing gained (even if what’s gained is crap like my Skylark shot!).

Impatience….

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Why do things take so long to materialise? 

Take the above featured giant snail. When I first say this particular creature, it was curled up in a shoe box in someone’s house in Norwich on a freezing day during December 2008. It took at least two weeks for it to emerge from its shell – and that was after being coaxed. Imagine how long it would have taken naturally?
I must admit, I’m feeling rather impatient. I had a really successful shoot up in Gateshead, but once I boarded the train back to London I became very frustrated and impatient at the thought that I (nor anybody else for that matter) will not be seeing the finished film until 2010. I’m also frustrated and impatient that I have not got a TV series yet, despite writing six different programme treatments that production companies actually liked.
But hey, I can’t complain. I’m in a great position that can only get better. Maybe Mr Snail’s got it right, because his whole vibe is: It will all happen in good time.

I’m tired…

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Today’s filming went very well. I started the day by meeting the main guy involved in the Red Kite re-introduction in Gateshead. We also visited the Metro shopping centre, hopped on the ‘Kite’ bus and chatted with a bunch of school kids. It was a great day with some more to come tomorrow.

It was officially announced today that Chris Packham has taken over the hot seat vacated by Bill Oddie. I congratulate Chris. Kate and the team remain though there is talk that there will be other presenters involved.
I hope that I will be in that number.

Eric Simms

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I’m am writing this as I sit in a hotel bar – the only place where I can get internet reception and it’s because I’m near the bar – and I’m thinking that I should really get to bed as I have to be fit and not tired for tomorrow’s shoot. 

The disappointing thing is that the piece will not be aired until January 2010!!!
I arrived in Newcastle at midday and I have basically been on my own until 8.30pm tonight because the crew were coming up from Bristol after their day in the office. I killed time by writing and visiting the Baltic Centre in Gateshead to see Yoko Ono’s exhibition. When I got there I was told that Yoko’s stint at the gallery had finished last Sunday. The one day I get cultural and I get thwarted.

I decided to wear a pair of black jeans that are to long for me tomorrow. So tonight I will borrow a pair of scissors from reception and will try and hack them shorter.
I heard some sad news tonight. Eric Simms, one of my natural history heroes died a fortnight ago. I remember reading his Birds of Town & Suburb as a teenager and realising that I was indeed an urban birder. He was a major inspiration for me.