Well it's that time again when, with the incentive from the Wildlife Trusts we all try and get out and interact with Nature just a little bit more for the month of June.
30 Days Wild is back!!
Apologies for the triple header to begin with but this is my first spare few hours since June 1st.
Day
Moths vs. Moshis
Whether you have kids or not you have probably heard of Pokemon Go or Moshi Monsters.Well instead of having your children search and collect these, there are some real creatures in your garden that give them a run for their money......moths!
Headshot photos of these stunning insects show that they could quite easily pass as a Pokemon or Moshi Monster.
Poplar Hawkmoth
My nephew James was staying overnight so it was a good chance to educate him into the world of Moths.The Skinner trap set up in the garden.I have to put up the bed sheet to stop the light from the MV bulb shining down the alley to the houses behind.
If you look at the bottom right corner of the sheet I also have to pin a bit up to still allow the Hedgehogs to come in.One even left me a "Thank You" message ;) I will try to catch them on film later in the 30 Days Wild challenge.
The following morning the trap was checked and found to be full of around 60+ Moths with a few more scattered around the fence and shed.With James help we had time to check them out including the Poplar & Elephant Hawkmoths.
James with his new friends.
Another species of Moth that impressed him was the Green Silver-lines.
More of the moths trapped that night.There were in total 72 moths with 31 species just from a small garden trap.
Small Magpie
Brimstone
Bright-line Brown-eye
Snout
Middle-barred Minor
Common Swift
Burnished Brass
Shears
Spectacle
Hopefully James will keep his fascination with animals with the help of seeing things he normally wouldn't be able to.We need to show children what amazing wildlife can be found in their own gardens and at local reserves.
If you want to be able to show moths to your children you can now get a Skinner Moth trap for around £100 and they are worth every penny.If that's not possible then start like I did with just a bright light shining on a white bed sheet or by making wine ropes and sugaring your fence :)
Day 2
Drive By Snapping
Unfortunately as most days, work got in the way :( I knew I would be in the car for 5 hours+ so had no idea what I could do for 30 Days Wild but decided to take my camera with me anyway.When we reached the first village to do the first lot of deliveries I had already seen a few birds so then thought, how many can I photograph throughout the day from the car? So with camera now on my knee I looked everywhere to see how many species of bird I could photograph while stuck in the car.
Please don't expect any top quality photos in this section as although I managed a few from the car when we had stopped and opened a window, most were taken from a moving vehicle through a dirty windscreen lol
So how many did I get?
1. Blackbird
2. Robin
3. Swift (honest)
4. Wood Pigeon
5. House Sparrow
6. House Martin
7. Swallow
8. Jackdaw
9. Collared Dove
10. Carrion Crow
11. Dunnock
12. Starling
13. Goldfinch
14. Chaffinch
15. Moorhen
16. Magpie
17. Rook
18 & 19. Greylag & Canada Geese
20. Shelduck
21. Song Thrush
So 21 in total with another 10 species(including Yellowhammer, Kestrel, Long-tailed Tit) that I saw but failed to photograph due to excessive speeds by my partner ;) Only joking, it is quite difficult to get a picture if the few seconds you have the bird in sight whilst moving at 30-60mph lol
It is a great way to pass the time whilst in the car but only do if your a passenger and NOT the driver. ;)
If you are going on a long journey with children then give them a notepad and pen(or a camera) and see how many species they see or photograph.It will keep them occupied and help them learn about our everyday bird species.
Just clean your car windows first :)
Day 3
A Quiet Little Neighbourhood
Another day with not a lot of time but I had an hour with the Black-headed Gull colony.As usual it was not exactly quiet as the adults were feeding their chicks and protecting them from trespassing neighbours.
Black-headed Gulls are a regular sight to most of us and are not the most loved of birds but they are actually in decline and are an Amber listed Species.We have around 140,000 breeding pairs with Wintering birds numbering over 2 million.They are still a target for egg thieves who sell them to people to be eaten as a delicacy.Places like Poole harbour now have patrols to try and protect the colony from being decimated by egg poachers.
More wildlife crime that needs to be stopped :(
A quick video clip of the Black-headed Gull colony.(I hope the sound works).
If you have a local colony, go check it out.They are amazing birds to watch with their interaction and behaviour but unfortunately are mostly taken for granted.
Okay that's the first 3 days sorted.Days 4 and 5 coming tomorrow as I continue to try and catch up :)
Many thanks for reading and browsing the photos.I hope you found something useful or interesting in that ;)
Stuart
