2012 Projects

It's looking like 2012 will be a busy but rewarding and enjoyable year for me :) In 3 weeks time I will be leaving the UK for a month or so to partake in a birding/conservation/photography trip to Nepal.

I shall also be visiting Sri Lanka again at some point, the business is up and running and the website should be live in the next few days http://www.sltourpal.com/, from the website you will be able to make enquiries, meet the team, and see all about what Sri Lanka has to offer! I did some of the written work for the site as well as providing the photographs - a task I enjoyed very much!

During the year I will hopefully also be involved in other projects that have been offered to me - one is working in Rajastan, at a eco lodge in Ranthambore National Park, which will involve staff training in hospitality etiquette and spoken English and also Tiger conservation work :)

Another exciting project is based in Chennai in the Tamil Nadu district of India- this will involve working in conservation projects within the education systems , teaching conservation awareness and with government funding, teaching children/young people the basics of photography(with a conservation/wildlife theme) so that they may take on board (and capture) the wonders of nature and so thus lay a foundation for them to take an active interest in these vital areas. All very worthwhile and productive and I will be proud to be part of it :)

I have also been offered the chance to work with the forest guards/NGO's in Gujurat too at some point :)

I should also be visiting Panama on a working trip around October time. It was to have taken place in March but has been put on hold for a while. This will also be a fantastic trip Im sure!!

Bring it on................Im ready :)!!!

Garden Observations

I have been laid up a bit this week with a shocking head cold so havent felt like going out much!I have spent sometime observing the birds visiting my garden, the Reed Bunting are visiting the feeders again regularly as are the Goldfinches. I have been lucky enough to also see Sparrowhawks (2) over my garden on many occasions and managed to photograph one recently. All these photos taken in my garden :)

Recent Patch Notes

The strong winds and showers have meant less time around the patch but I was delighted to finally catch up with the Short-eared Owl that has been hanging around the Humber foreshore at Far Ings. Always a great bird to spend time with :)
There are many Redwing around too at the moment, usually observed feeding on the hawthorn berries. Bullfinch are showing themselves quite a lot too at the moment, but try as I might, have still not managed to get one out fully in the open to photograph!

Short-eared Owl

Blue Tit

Redwing

In general the area is pretty quiet at the moment, but am hoping to get out again this weekend for a wander around, the forecast looks set to improve somewhat. That remains to be seen......

The feeders in my garden are being used regularly, Goldfinches are still visiting in good numbers as well as Blue Tit, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Great Tit, Dunnock and House Sparrow. I was happy to add Redwing and Bullfinch to my garden observations today :)