Our Curlews

All is quite you imagine yourself far from the hussle and bussel of modern life and all its sounds,you suddenly hear a long bubbling sound piercing the silence, could it be a curlew?maybe maybe if you are very fortunate.its sound that makes me think of summer dont know why i think its the echoe of the sound  that makes the differance.But alas the curlew is getting harder too find exept fora few place and that wildlife reserves of the rspb wildlife trust and the like where there are small stongholds our curlews would be almost gone ,this real beauty of a bird quite large in size unmistakable by the length of its bill which it uses to extract its food from soft muddy ground and small invertabrie from beneath shallow waterfeild. the photo below shows a bird with a small crab,shaking it and then swallowing it whole i presume,i did not see the bird swallow the crustation he held it for ages shaking it furiously from time to time.So you may be asking yourself where the best place would be too see one,well you most likley wont see one in the south of the uk , your be

best bet is from east anglia northwards, i would say although there are exeptions but the main tell tail is the sound the curlew makes. so look it up on the internet play it to yourself and then go for it , it you find one you will never forget the sight and the sound of our beautiful curlews.

by for now  Si

North Norfolk in The Autumn

Returned last sunday from three day trip to north norfolk ,we found a good deal on the internet for £80.00 for two nights b&b in snettisham .the accomadtion was great as was the breakfast which was huge!.After arriving and settling in ie recover from the journey we set of to the rspb reserve which was just down the road,too try and see the mummerings of huge numbers of godwits oystercatchers dunlin sandling and knot to name a few , what we experienced was quite amazing something we should all see at least once in our lives

Next day we went to rspb  titchwell where you can see huge amount of species of birds, we saw curlews, curlew sandpipers redshanks

one saturday evening we returned too see the mummering again

it was just as good. on sunday we went to a small village called little walsingham a small place where man is small but god is big, bigger than i could ever imagined!

Norfolk in Spring

I am wrighting this the night before we head of too norfolk it will be the first time we  have been there in autum,so will do report on our trip when we get back which should not be too long as we are only up there for three days hopeing too see the anual huge flocks of birds as some leave and some arrive on their migration ,some staying others going and a chance of seening something unusual passing through .On my last trip we went to cley and got some photos of the advocets

We also saw bartailed godwits  sedge warblers and many other species .their are plenty of places too stay but book up early too avoid  disapointment and dont do as we did and book on spure of the moment,although we got a really good deal doing it this way ,but we were really lucky .so i will sign of for now and if you feel the urge too go to north norfolk i can thoughly recomend it too you,

all best by for now

Si

Sevenoaks Wild Life Trust

Just returned from a trip to sevenoaks wildlife trust and had forgot just what a great place this is for seeing a wide veriaty of flora and forna   but if youve never seen a kingfisher and you want see one this is one of the best places around here too see one or more!

the quite tranquility is so calming so if you want to go with freinds or family or just like me too clear your mind and escape for a few hours its well worth the trip here are a few more pictures

Howletts Zoo

We had a trip too Howletts Zoo in kent a couple of weeks ago, when we set of  it was really a bit on the cold side and looked like rain but decided to go anyway ,after the drive which took just under an hour from tonbridge which is in the same county but on the otherside of it . On arrival we bought our tickets opting for the passport as the kind lady member staff advised,this is really worth while as you can go as much as you like for a year , on entering we were overwhemed at the size of the place it is quite big so we got out map we headed for tigers they have three species of tigers sumatran,amur and bengal, there so many icant remember all of them just now

after  a lot walking we went to get something too eat there are plenty of places dotted all over the zoo !

when we had refuelled we set of and can across  lion tailed macaquas

we finally gave up at 5.00 pm what day will definatley bereturning very soon

Vulpes Vulpes

Few days after foxes made the national news i was listing to a phone in on radio kent on the subject and decided too phone in ,not thinking i would actually get on air i slighty nervously picked up the phone and dialed the number to my amazment i got straight through the kind woman on the other end had a short chat with me and said to leave my number and they would get back to me in awhile if they wanted me,so i thought that's it wont hear back how wrong i was 5 mins later the phone goes and im talking to the presenter of the program ,after a few mins she introduced me and i was on the radio for the first time in my life speaking about my experience with foxes and how they differ ,(ie) between urban and rural enviroments where in the countryside half the population is killed on the roads and if the goverment start a cull they wouldn't find many in the counrty. the position of the urban foxes is entirely different they are usually larger than rural foxes as the are usually able to find food every day where as rural foxes only feed once a week and therefore are smaller and mostly not in as good a shape, its such a shame as foxes are so beautiful dont you think!