The month of October is a time of huge change: trees turn into wonderful shades of autumn brown, Grey seals and Fallow dear begin their breeding season. The arrival of winter waders and wildfowl begin. The ultimate wader is the Knot, they arrive from Artic Canada in early autumn to feed amongst he mudflats and lagoons. One great place to see them is the RSPB reserve at Snettisham, Norfolk where one count was around 80,000! Fascinated by their mass of numbers they often morph into wonderful globular shapes. Migration is such an unpredictable but short lived time so make the most of it!

1st October 2008

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"Never forget ," says the panda, "that all living things are part of the bamboo of life" (Source: The Last Panda by George Schaller)

Why does a Panda survive on a diet of bamboo? Why are they black & white? One thing that is not a mystery is why pandas are so hard to find. Bamboo grows so thick that a panda could be 10 feet away and you would never know he's there.

Pandas spend roughly 55 per cent of their time eating bamboo ( 15 to 18kg a day), 43 per cent resting and 2 per cent playing. What a life!

A survey in 2004 by the Chinese State Foresty Service and WWF China estimated that there was only 1600 pandas left in the wild.

16th June 2008

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I read an article the other day which discussed how parental favouritism of one gender of offspring over the other, is common in may birds and mammals. In most bird species chicks appear identical, at least to the human eye. A study at the University of Milan studied several wild barn swallow colonies. They scanned the nestlings' gapes using a portable spectrometer and recorded and analysed thier begging calls. The tests revealed that the gapes of males chicks were significantly brighter - across all colour wavelengths aswell as ultraviolet- than their sisters.Over two weeks male calls were obviously differentto the females. Therefore parents were able to determine whose mouth belonged to whom by the visual and audible signals.

2nd June2008

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During the Easter break the family and I travelled down to good old Barnstaple in the west country for a well earned break. Out walking one afternoon beside a fast flowing stream we were treated to a Dipper speeding across the water's surface. Captivated by this beautiful bird I followed it up stream to see it re-united with its mate. The birds made their distinctive bobbing movement before flying off together up stream. Dippers are unique in the songbirds, for their ability to wade, swim and dive in running water. One striking feature is the large white bib against otherwise dark plumage. Dippers love to eat insect larvae and freshwater shrimps. Whilst I was down by the water edge I noticed some otter tracks but alas there were none to be seen!! The nearby Taw Valley is well known for Otters and the local Tarka trail.

24th March 2008

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Otters are back! Our much loved popular creature has made a good recovery and has overcome a brush with extinction!  The rapid decline of the European Otter, from many English waterways in the decade spanning the end of the 1950's and early 1960's has been well documented. Water quality in our rivers has been improved, hunting banned and otters were given legal protection under the Wildlife  and Countryside Act (1981). Our local reserve at Paxton Pits have done a great deal to promote this wonderful mammal including building several holts following the discovery of spaints. A spaint is deposited by an otter as a territory marker and is quite important in their way of life. In a 24hr hour an otter may deposit up to 20 ( estimated) spraints during its travels.

4th December 2007

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Its only 39 days left to christmas and the countryside should be in the clutches of Autumn. Yet across Britain, signs of springtime can be seen already. Amateur naturalists have seen daffodils in Devon and Cardiff. Apples blossom in West Sussex and even wild strawberries in Cardiff and Carmarthen. In Northumberland house sparrows have been seen in ponds. Dragonflies are mating while there are reports of tadpoles in Fife and young newts in Edinburgh. That said here in Cambridgeshire there is a chill in the air along with morning frost, the signs of winter are here. However the Met Office said autumn had been mild with temperatures slightly above average in September and near normal for October This winter will certainly be an interesting one.....have you got your sledge ready?

15th November 2007

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The sudden arrival of the first migrating Siberian swans means Britain is in a harsh winter, experts have warned. Every winter about 250 Bewick's swans arrive at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust nature reserve at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, after flying 2500 miles from Artic Russia. It is believed that the earlier the swnas arrive the harsher the winter months will be because the birds head south to escape temperatures of -13F (-25C) and the following winds. The first six of the year's flock, three adults and three yearlings , arrived on Friday - eight days earlier than last year and the earliest on record. Perhaps mother nature know's something we don't?!!

(Source Daily Telegraph)

24th October 2007

Scouts in Australia have taken the expression of "go fly a kite" to new heights by setting a world record for the number of kites in the air at any one time. The first attempt held at Glenelg saw 1014 kites in the air, a new unofficial world record. However the second attempt saw the number rise to 1127!! Known as "Windjam 07" the aim was to break the prvious record of 927 kites set in Bournemouth,UK..The new record is being sent to the Guiness Book of Records for verification.WindJam 08 is already planned for next year..

18th October 2007

"Make the boy interested in natural history if you can. It is better than games...".These were the last words in a letter from Scott of Antartic to his wife Kathleen. His son was Peter Scott who became a conservation colossus. David Bellamy described him as "the father of conservation". David Attenborough said he was conservation's "patron saint". Peter was probably the most influential conservationist of the 20th century, and the first to be knighted (in 1973). "Bringing people and wildlife together for the benefit of both" was Peter's vision when he founded the Severn Wildfowl Trust (later Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust - WWT) in 1946.

Yesterday I paid a visit with my family to WWT Welney near Ely .The new eco-friendly visitors centre hosts a whole range of environmentally friendly systems including loos flushed with rainwater, electricity generated by the sun, heating sourced direct from the earth and reedbeds used to clean waste water and of course the wetlands wildlife.

Amongst my sightings on the day were a Marsh Harrier and a pair of Common Cranes - a truly amazing site. There is actually a long history of cranes in Britain; they feature on illustrated manuscripts and appeared on the menu for Henry III's Christmas feast at York in 1251! Common cranes (Latin name Grus grus) were formerly widespread, but the drainage of extensive areas of wetlands and hunting caused them to disappear as a breeding bird by the start of the 17th century.

What a great family day out which included pond dipping , great wildlife and friendly staff .An excellent restaurant and great visual education allround.

One lasting memory were the 4 large artworks on the cafe wall - PROTECT, INSPIRE, HELP & SAVE.

10/10 - will definately be back in the winter.

For more information visit Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

The Common Crane-- The Great Crane Project

15th October 2007

What a touch of beauty the Goldfinch brings to the garden, its return has been hailed a success story! In the 1970 the bird was as rare  visitor , so much so that goldfinches were only seen in 3 percent of gardens. They are now estimated to appear in 81 per cent of gardens in the winter. Reaseach has shown that improvements in the bird food industry as the likely reason for the nird's greater presence. High-energy nyger seed and sunflower hearts have proved a particular boon to goldfinches. In the 19th century their population suffered because the species were trapped as they became a popular caged bird.Quite simply, It is thought that the garden bird table has made the difference between life and death for this beautiful bird.

13th October 2007

Is it me but the mornings are quite parky now which tells me that winter is on the way. Perhaps its time to start preparing the garden for the birds and wildlife. Hedgehogs will be looking for a good home and squirrels will stocking up on nuts. The Garden Bird watch people at the BTO are predicting the early return of wild birds to gardens due to the poor crop of beechmast and the early fruiting of many of the hedgerow trees. So keep an eye out for your garden birds and have some food ready for them.

4th October 2007

Update on the swallows...They are doing so well  they are now flying in and out of the barn with their Dad and Mum. I am sure they will soon be off.Hope they will make it, we have had loads of other swallows flying around this morning trying to give these little ones encouragement. We hope they return to Manor Farm next year.

16th September 2007

GOOD NEWS on our young Swallows, they appear to have regained some of their strength ( thanks to my mothers attention) and are now sitting on the barn crossbeam looking down at end. Their mother is still up above in the nest but the young ones are now safe and being fed by their busy dad. Soon they will be getting ready to make the long journey south , we are all keeping our fingers crossed that they will be fully fit by then.

12th September 2007

Crisis in the donkey barn...Three young swallows have fallen out of their nest onto the straw below.. Luckily Bonnie (the Donkey) was out in the field Their mother keeps watching from above whilst dad flies frantically in and out of the barn. We're hoping that they the two juveniles will take to their wings soon and join their parents for the long flight home. Meanwhile all we can do is wait and hope. Autumn migration takes about 6 weeks and crosses the Sahara Desert. An interesting fact...a brood of Swallows need 6000 flies a day to survive!!  We'll keep you posted on how they get on.

11th September 2007

"Dad, why are you flying a kite?" asked my 4 year old daughter. Such a simple question which children have a wonderful knack for doing so well!!. It made me stop and think what possesses me to fly a kite. One day its "Parachute Ted", another day its" Porky The Pig" or maybe " The Rebel"....I suppose I love to fly  because  Itoo was taught by my father. No doubt my children will teach their children and the simple art of kite flying will continue for decades to come. After a brief pause I replied " Because I want to show you how to fly a kite". Her reply " Can we go to the swings!". Oh well game over!

6th September 2007                    

I noticed a report in the paper today titled " Ban dog walking to protect wild bird species". Apparently taking the dog for a walk should be banned in conservation areas because it can drive away more than 40 per cent of the bird population, according to a study. Ground-dwelling birds such as fairy wrens and finches appeared most affected.  "Half of the species recorded in control sites were absent from dog-walked sites" said Dr Banks. Dog walking was also likely to effect the accuracy of surveys used to map bird distributions around the world. So what can we make of this latest report? Are dogs getting a fair say? I'll leave you to be the judge of that one!

5th September 2007

We had an unusual visitor to the farm today - a Snipe. And if one wasn't enough, another one appeared from the cover!.The Snipe is a rather secretive bird..If disturbed, it flies with a zig-zag flight but often relies on its cryptic camouflage for protection. What exactley it was doing on our farm is anyones guess?However we did watch it feed on some unsuspecting snails nearby.Usually they prefers moorland bogs and wet pastures. It just goes to show you that you never really know what's round the corner.  I only wish I had my camera!

16th August 2007

A familar farmland bird in decline is the Lapwing, also known as the Peewit for its rather shrill, lonely cry. With its acrobatic flying stunts and its synchronised song and dance routine, this bird is equally distinctive with its head crest. The main cause of its decline appears to be nest failure due to predators, agricultural activity and desertion. While the birds oftentry to re-lay, changes in cropping practices often result in the habitat being unsuitable for replacement clutches because the vegetation has grown too tall, therby shortening the potential breeding season. We can only hope that this wonderful farmland bird makes a comeback from its amber status.

7th August 2007

Usually a dorsal fin breaking the surface of the sea usually sets your mind racing of man eating sharks! Not so, as fins seen around the British Coastline tend to bring a more welcoming response.That's thanks to the harmless Basking shark, a 11metre-long filter feeder. In spring and summer , it cruises along the surface after planton blooms. The food is fltered out through its numerous bristles which line the gill lits of its huge mouths. In winter it keeps to deepr water , so it is rarely seen.

If recent reports are to be believed there have been sightings in the South West of a Great White Shark- now for swimmers thats not good news at all ! For shark conservationalists, that interesting news as this species has severely declined due to persecuation. Great white sighting

If you're unsure of your shark fins here goes:

Basking Shark	Great White

In 1977 the body of a Great White Shark was washed up on the beach at la Rochelle, France. Not a million miles away.

So far the Great White has been spotted at the following locations:

Where to spot a Great White

I suppose time will only tell whether its all been media hype or "Jaws" is paying us a visit due to warmer waters?

4th August 2007

Ever since I watched my first episode of "Flipper", I've always had a soft spot for these lovable characters. Apparently a group ( or pod) of 30 bottlenose dolphins were spotted in the English Channel in early May, some 7km off the Isle of Wight. Could this be yet another example of warmer seas as this species are rarely recorded in our waters .Bottlenose Dolphins.

On the subject of Flipper.... Two hours south of Miami on US 1 is Grassy Key, a subtropical island in the heart of the Florida Keys. At mile marker 59, on the Gulf side, stands a 30-foot concrete statue of a mother and baby dolphin. This marks the entrance to the Dolphin Research Center,a non profit organization, whose goals are to promote a "peaceful coexistence, cooperation and communication between marine mammals, humans and the environment" It is also the final resting place of the most famous dolphin ever -- Mitzi, better known to the world by her stage name, Flipper. Dolphin Research Centre

27th July 2007

Here's an amazing fact....Blue Tits are amazing powerlifters- they can hold things three times their own body weight in one foot! No... not alot people know that!

5th July 2007

Biirdwatching or flowers for your loved one?

I have just returned from a very wet holiday in Southern Brittany, which will be remembered for many years to come! In the past I have had some wondeful holidays in this part of France.One day we decided to go to a local nature reserve called Sene near Vannes. The reserve had been widely advertised (in french) and I thought it would be an ideal way to keep the children amused ( they love their wildlife walks) and to get some great photos of Avocets. After quite a trek ,we arrived to see a group of people around a picnic table but to our surprise were told that it was "Ferme!"( closed, yes closed!). "Ferme?" I remarked. After which the picnickers just continued drinking their wine and to nibble on their sandwiches!!.I suppose that back home we have grown so use to the major reserves being open thanks to the RSPB and local councils supporting local reserves.However it wasn't only the nature reserves that were shut, some town centres and supermarkets were" ferme"( some between 12 and 4.30pm).Actually the only shop open were flowers shops!! So the moral of my story... when you can't get any birdwatcing done, go and buy some flowers for your loved one! Maybe thats what the French do?

30th June 2007

Anyone who has seen the film "Ring of Bright Water" cannot be moved by Midge the Otter and his loveable friends. Otters tend to be rather elusive. Locally at Little Paxton we have had two otters killed in the past six years after they were forced to cross the road because a sluice is blocking the flow of the River Ouse. To some this may appear an insignicant number of deaths, but for a species as rare as an otter, it certainly is not. The local wildlife trust and Environment Agency hope to solve the problem by building an Otter Tunnel so that these lovely marine mammals can patrol their stretch of the rive unharmed.John Green , a local conservationalist, has spent several years looking for these elusive otters around theLittle Paxton area.His last sighting was in February and more sightings are needed for evidence is needed. .If you're on the river this bank holiday weekend keep your eyes peeled for a ring of bright water and the sound of "Midge Midge".

25th May 2007

Definately worth a watch tonight is Natural World at 9pm on BBC2. Its a worrying film by ornithologist Roy Dennis on how global warming is threating our coastal bird population. Basically the one-degrees rise in sea temperature has had a dramatic effect on the food chain. On Canna the 1000 strong kittiwake colony only produced 5 fledged chicks. As a sea bird lover I can only fear another rise in sea temperature.

23rd May 2007

I've just returned from a wonderful weekend birdwatching at RSPB BEMPTON CLIFFS.

Standing on the clifftop and watching the Gannets plummet into the oceandepths is an amazing sight and for anyone wanting an introduction to sea birds,this is the spot to visit. How on earth they cope with the contant wear-and-tear by their diving stunts is anyones guess? These large birds have a 1.8m wingspan and hit the water at about 100kmph when they dive for fish. Streamlined like an arrow with their wings folded back like a tomcat jetfighter the impact must be absolutely enormous.The dive can carry them 5 metres below the water surface. Evolution has developed their neck muscles and tissues under the skin to absorb this impact. I can't get enough of these birds....so later in the year i'm off to Bass Rock for another gannet fix!

22nd May 2007

Badgers are great animals to watch and locally we fortunate enough to have a sett.

They are usuallynocturnal animals but in late spring and summer they can emerge from their setts before dusk fall. They can often be seen grooming themselves or playing around before they go off to search for worms. The Badger Trust organise badger-watching events through local groups. Visit The Badger Trust and have some fun!

 29th March 2007

Yesterday I was out birdwatching at Grafham Water and the cold choppy water was lapping up against the shore. A Pied Wagtail was in flight "bounding along" the shoreline. Every 5 or so yards he would land with his distinctive bobbing tail and then turn to face the wind head on. His main source of food are flies and midges which explains his unusual flightpath along the shoreline, trying to catch flies in the air.

His jerky walk and sudden sprints are also captivating. Its easy to overlook this delightful bird along the shoreline but now hopefully he may get some more admirers!

19th March 2007

Once in a while you hear of stories about orphaned wildlife and how they are being helped back to a full recovery by dedicated carers. If you have a soft spot for red squirrels as I do, this story will tug at your heartstrings.I challenge any one not to fall in love with Pip.The link briefly tells his story Pip - The Orphan - Graham McHarg one of our customers, is hoping to release him when the winter is properly over, but he will need plenty of our hazlenut kernals to help him on his way. If anyone else  has other interesting stories, please let me know.

3rd March 2007

Last weekend I decided to visit RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. I hadn't been for several years and its easy to forget what a wonderful reserve it is. Well what a day I had, Marsh harriers, Oystercatchers and even an otter as well.There's a great cafe, plenty of hides to visit and as always the RSPB staff very welcoming. Although the Suffolk coastline is such a beautiful place, Minsmere was a gem. Well recommended for all the family ,although I did find the tree canopy hide somewhat quiet on the bird front.. If you want more information visit RSPB Minsmere . My next stop is RSPB Bempton Cliffs to see the sea birds arrive. I'll keep you posted!

2nd March 2007

Its the start of national nest box week, so look out Nature's calender on BBC2 at 7pm. Chris Packham points to the examples of Barn Owls, half of whom now use boxes since numbers of traditional barns are dwindling. If you want some further information,visit BBC Nestbox Week . You can also register your nest box with BTO ( British trust of Ornithology) there and tell them what birds move in!

12th February 2007

All the snow has now melted and its time to hang the family sledge up once again. If we are to believe

the evidence about global warming, my sledge could be hanging there for some time to come. With predicted warmer and wetter winters, snow may become a thing of the past? This year skiing resorts had to lay people off as there was no snow to ski on! A theory in the Sunday papers today claimed that global warming was down to cosmic rays and not man! I suppose that what i'm trying to say is that theories and models are fine but what we do know, is our climate is changing and becoming more unpredictable. Personally I wouldn't rule out more snow, we could now experience a run of severe winters ( like in 1947) and least when we expect it, so hold on to that family sledge!

11th February 2007

So how did your RSPB Birdwatch go? As a family we went to Paxton Pits, Cambridgeshire, which is a wonderful place to visit and the wardens arereally friendly and helpful. There's usually plenty ofwildlife to see.Paxton Pits Nature Reserve Normally I'm very lucky and always see a Kingfisher from Kingfisher Hide. I am told there are  otters but can't say I've seen one yet! On our list for the day was the Goldeneye- a beautiful bird which is a frequent dive. Goldeneyes feed on a variety of food, some of which it finds by turning over stones underwater, including freshwater mussels and insect lavae.

It has the same name as a well known James Bond film. not surprising really, as Ian fleming was a keen birdwatcher. Now not lot of people know that!

29th January 2007

When I was a younger twitcher in my 20's I went in search of some Waxwings with a good friend that had been sighted nearby. Needless to say we spent endless hours looking at some fruit bushes and after a long day gave it up as a bad joke!

Waxwings are scarce winter visitors from Northern continental Europe. Their main winter food is fruit when supplies run short in their native country. So if you put some fruit out , they just may come to it. If you grow berry bushes or crab-apples, your chances increase. Hopefully one day I will be fortunate to see one and get a fab photo to prove it.

21st January 2007

The RSPB Big Garden Watch is nearly here on the 27th & 28th January. Its easy, fun and only takes an hour.

Just spend one hour watching the birds in your garden or local park. All you have to do is record the highest number of each species you see at any one time. You can enter your results on the RSPB website: RSPB birdwatch Have fun!

20th January 2007

My daughter Elizabeth has a fascination for owls and she's only 3 yrs! She can identify the Little Owl, The Barn Owl and stuggles a little with the Tawny owl. Her favourite is the Snowy Owl. You may be surprised to hear that some owls actually migrate. The short eared and long eared owls migrate from continental Europe and the snowy owl from the high artic.

This beautiful owl ( as seen in Harry Potter!) is able to withstand the rigours of winter in the far north but some are forced south or west by shortage of food.A good friend of mine once set out in search of one to photograph, braving cold winds and driving rain. After an exhaustive expedition he decided togive up and visit a local zoo just so he could say he saw one!

19th January 2007

I had a customer come to the shop the other day who claimed he had over 100 goldfiches in his garden! That's probably why he normally buys two bags of Niger seed 25kg on every visit!! Goldfinches have a great love for teasels so much so its a food magnet to them .Family groups join up to form dazzling flocks perhaps even a hundred strong. Visit your local teasel lined riverbanks and meadows and enjoy this beautiful bird.

15th January 2007

Another wild bird that fascinates me ( and makes me chuckle ), is the Puffin. May be its down to its clown like features or simply that colourful beak?

One great place to see them in spring is the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs, North Yorkshire.

RSPB Bempton Cliffs

The oldest known Puffin lived for 29 years!

11th January 2007

Apparently Woodpeckers are famous for their tongues, which in the case of the Great Spotted Woodpecker stretches 4cm beyond the tip of the bill. The tip spears the soft bodies of grubs and then collected for a good tasty meal. Great Spotted woodpeckers may also consume 1700 pine seeds a day. They are the most active in the morning, sometimes entering their roosting holes to have a good snooze in the middle of the day.What a life!

10th January 2007

As I sit here in the office, two grey squirrels are perched rather carelessly on the garden fence feasting on some peanuts.

I often hear a mixed reaction to squirrels- I reckon you either love them or hate them! Since I gave them their own feeder, they haven't bothered the bird feeders at all. So the moral of this story...try buying a squirrel feeder first before you decide to go and buy a machine gun ( if you are that way inclined).

You may find that we can all co-exist quite happily. I'd love to hear what you have to say about these creatures, opinions either side of the fence welcome!

9th January 2007

Just been out watching owls.....caught a glimpse of a Barn Owl and a Little Owl.  I hear there's a short eared Owl in the local area.

I can't wait to find him ( or her!). Often solitary, they can mix with long eared owls. Regularly perches on the ground, on a post or trees. Must keep an ear out for their distinctive low hollow"boo-boo-boo-boo". Will try another evening...

8th January 2007

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Its all too easy to take birds for granted, like the colourful Blue Tit.

One of Britain's commonest species, this tiny tit heaves with charisma and personality, not forgetting its beauty of colours with shades of blues, green and yellow. So next time it hangs from your peanut feeder, have a closer look with some binoculars and enjoy!

7th January 2007

January is upon us and an ideal time to set up nest boxes ahead of the breeding season in February. The nest  boxes put up before February are the ones most likely to be successful, as birds, in common with most house hunters, like to view several times before moving in. Nest boxes can also double up as a valuable cold weather roosting site over winter. With the rapid decline overrecent years in the numbers of some of our most common and loved species, such as the House Sparrow, everyone can do their bit just by putting up one nest box in their garden.

6th January 2007

Birds never cease to amaze me! Here's a funny story....Down in Cornwall a pair of Turnstones have decided to hitch a lift on a ferry each day rather than fly across the estuary. The birds, named Fred and Freda, have decided to take a ride to their feeding ground at St Mawes rather than fly the three miles from their roost in Falmouth, Cornwall, even though the birds are used to long distance migration from the Artic..They regularly catch the first ferry from prince of wales pier, at 0815am and then return on thelast crossing at 3.45pm. The skipper of the Queen of Falmouth ferry told reporters that if the wind is light, they will travel on the bow and if the weather is bad they come in and shelter on the top deck! If you have an funny stories, please e-mail me and tell me more-   david@wildbirdfeeds.com.

5th January 2007

Its time to begin taking the christmas cards down and I couldn't help noticing how many had Robins on them! Apparently it all started  back in Victorian times, when postman of the era all wore bright red coats nickknamed "redbreasts". At that time, people first began sending Christmas cards to each other. The earliest ones featured Robins dressed up as postmans or carrying cards in their beaks. Another view is that Robins are linked to paganism,when people believed that it represented life in the middle of a dead winter world.The very fact that they sing through winter has also helped the link. As I sit here looking out the window in the office, our friendly Robin is singing away to his hearts content.What a picture , no wonder he is the nations's friendliest and best loved bird.

4th January 2007

For any local customers who have their radios turned on, I've been invited to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire today along with the RSPB , to talk about birds and bird food. The discussion is about which seeds birds like and where they come from..Where ever possible, we source our bird seed from local farmers here in the eastern region of the UK, unlike some suppliers I would care to mention! (Obviously certain products like peanuts have to come from abroad) Support UK farmers....I wonder what the birds would say?!

3rd January 2007

Owls have always been a fascination for me and today at 3.45pm on Radio 4 Chris Sperring goes in search of owls in Bristol, because wherever you find small mammals (eg. rats) you stand a good chance of finding owls that prey on them.Why they chose Bristol is anyones guess? He's on the trail of the Barn Owl on Friday: Thursday, he's in Sweden tracking down the world's largest owl, the Eagle owl.

The Little Owl, Britains smallest Owl was introduced to Europe in the 19th Century and there are concerns that its european numbers have been in decline for the past 40 years. Interestingly the oldest surving ringed bird was over 10 years old.

2nd january 2007

It's goodbye to 2006 and welcome in 2007, I wonder what this year has in store for us all? One of my New Year's resolutions is simply to "watch" more birds and to learn more to pass onto my children. I really want to share these experiences with my family, especially the children, Elizabeth (3) and George (1). Some of my stongest memories from childhood are of "discovering" and "watching" wildlife, particularly birds- I used to spend endless hours sitting under our village bridge watching the resident Kingfisher catch the stickleback.

In this mad mad world, full of computers games and virtual worlds, its great to hear of and actually see other families showing their children about the world of nature about us.

I was out today on such a trip walking around Grafham Water I saw plenty of Birdwatchers out there with their families.

Why not set yourself a challenge to discover a certain wildlife this year? You'll be surprised what else you'll find along the way?

For me its the Long Eared Owl and the Otter....I'll let you know how I get on.

1st January 2007