Global Bird Fair 2022 - Great to be back in Oakham.

 When the news broke in 2020 during the pandemic that Rutland BirdFair 2019 was to be the last one, I like many was devastated. It was always the best three days of the year, meeting up with people that we only ever saw at Birdfair and I always hoped that something would be done to create a similar event. Fast forward through 2.5 years of feeling very isolated from everyone to 2022 and the hopeful rumours of a new birding festival event began to emerge.

 As soon as we received confirmation from Tim Appleton that it would indeed go ahead in July, we booked our accommodation and waited for the ticket release date. Our 3 day tickets booked, we eagerly awaited for July 15th, which would be day 1 of the new Global Bird Fair at it's venue of the Rutland Showground.

 We drove down to our accommodation near Oakham on Thursday in anticipation of the opening of Global Bird Fair the following day. We were staying in a new place, not the A1 Travelodge we had been using for so many years. Our room window overlooked a small area of grass behind the hotel surrounded by the bushes and the hedgerow of the adjacent field. Watching out of the window, numerous birds flitted in and out of the hedge, Blackbirds, Robins, Blue Tits, Wood Pigeons, Dunnocks and also a couple of playful Hares.

 We ended up leaning out of the windows, watching and photographing them each night and morning. They were totally unperturbed by our viewing of them.

 Friday morning was here and it was time to get ready for Global BirdFair (in between rushing to the window every few minutes to check for the Hares). It was only a 15 minute drive to the showground and we arrived early, at the same time as some of the exhibitors. Tickets were scanned and at 9am the growing queue was finally given access to Global Birdfair 2022.

 Entering the first Global Bird Fair with organiser Tim Appleton(in the blue shirt) greeting people on the way in.

 The new site was, as expected smaller and more compact, with the events marquee (osprey stage) holding less attendees of around 350.There were 3 main exhibitor marquees along with a slightly smaller Art marquee and with the Optics marquees along the boundary.Add an auction tent, BTO bird ringing tent, bars, food stalls, a large covered seating and eating area, a podcast tent and 3 more smaller lecture marquees, it created an extremely well laid out venue with plenty to see.

 As soon as we walked into the nearest exhibitor marquee it just felt so good to be walking back among a wildlife oriented crowd at a Birdfair.

 I could go on for ages about how great the talks were, and how amazing it was to see so many people again after all his time but the blogpost would just go on forever so I will do it in quicker sections together.

  Firstly though here is Tim & Penny officially opening the inaugural Global Bird Fair and receiving a cake (which didn't survive too well in the heat)

 Some photos from the lectures we attended in no particular order.

 Nigel Marven - Harpies & Hummers Guatemala, Costa Rica & Panama

 Stephen Moss - The Best Of Birding with Bill Oddie

 Sara Frost (Naturetrek) - St Kilda

 Jonathan & Angie Scott - Sacred Nature

 Nigel Marven - Feathers & Scales

 Peter Howe - 3rd Eye Technology Camera Satellite Tags.

 Martin Hughes-Games - Finches Friends Bird Feeders

 Jonathan & Angie Scott - The Marsh Pride Lions 

 Ruth Miller - Birdwatching, not just a man's world

 Enough Is Enough Wildlife Crime Panel with Dominic Dyer, Kate Stephenson, Martin Sims, Mark Jones, Craig Fellows and Jenna Jones.

 

 Even though it is a smaller event than previously for now, it is still worth attending all 3 days for the varied and interesting lectures on each day.

 A few of the people that we were able to catch up with and who had made it such a wonderful event to attend.

 With Tim Appleton MBE, without whom there would be no Global Bird Fair.

 With Kate On Conservation, Kate Stephenson.

 With Sara Frost of Naturetrek.

 With TV presenter and producer Martin Hughes-Games

With Naturalist, TV producer and prolific Author Stephen Moss

 With Global Bird Fair host and all round awesome guy Nigel Scott

 With Naturalist, TV presenter, author Nigel Marven.

 Cooling with a beer with Spurn Bird Observatory friend Jonnie Fisk.

 My partner Majella with our birding friend Jo.

 With conservationist and Naturalist Peter Howe. Founder of 3rd Eye Technology.

Please check out the following web page and support this vitally important project to save our Hen Harriers and other illegally persecuted Birds Of Prey.

https://raptor3et.com/  

 Besides just making a few donations to several wildlife charities and buying a Finches Friends Bird Feeder I managed to restrict my purchases. 

I did however get these books from a couple of amazing conservationists. 

Connections With Nature by Kate Stephenson and BirdGirl by Mya-Rose Craig. 

 We did spend several hours browsing the many unbelievable birding tours and optics stands, mostly crying at what I could never afford, so if Canon want to upgrade my 12 year old camera and lens then please get in touch 😉😂 

 Lots of exhibitors on the stands were saying how well their days had gone and were hoping for confirmation of Global Bird Fair 2023. Personally we had an amazing 3 days of lectures, browsing stands and catching up with wonderful people that we had been missing since 2019.

 We have to give a massive thank you to Tim, Penny and the whole team who must have worked so hard over the last 5 months to get this momentous event realised. Thank you so much.

 Just before we left we had time at Rutland Water for a bit of birding.

 Green Woodpecker

Great Crested Grebe

Greylag Geese

Common Tern

Distant Osprey 

 Thank you so much to all who took the time to speak with us over the course of the 3 days. It means so much to us after struggling for the last couple of years. Hope to see you all again next year at Global Bird Fair 2023.

Thank you for reading. 

All the best

Stuart 

30 Days Wild - Days 10-12

  The last 3 days of my #30DaysWild challenge included a bit of travelling :)

Day 10    Birmingham Wildlife Festival

  On Saturday my partner and I made the 3hr train journey down to Birmingham to the 4th annual Wildlife Festival in Victoria Square, 5 minutes from New Street Station and the Bullring.

  We arrived to find an array of wildlife and vegan food stalls along with the stage ready for the live music and speeches.

                               

  The Badger Trust, Born Free, Sea Shepherd, IFAW, RSPB, Vale Wildlife Hospital, Hare Preservation Society were all in attendance with information and tombolas available.

  There was great live music from Tanglemist, Sam Robinson band and members of Fairport Convention and then of course amazing speeches from massive names in the world of conservation and animal welfare.

  Peter Martin, Ray Puttock, Philip Mansbridge, Mark Muschamp, Anneka Svenska, Dan Richardson, Dominic Dyer and Peter Egan all spoke with passion about what we all need to do to help save our vulnerable wildlife.

  Actor Peter Egan speaking.

                                

  CEO of Badger Trust Dominic Dyer rallying the troops ;)

                                        

  It was great to be able to meet with these inspirational people too.

With Peter Egan

                                  

 With Dominic Dyer

                                    

   With Anneka Svenska & Sally Stewart

                                   

  It was fantastic to meet up with fellow compassionate people who care for all life, both on land and in the oceans on this planet and how we treat them.

  An amazing day that I urge you to try and attend next year if you live nearby.

Day 11     Sea Watch on the Irish Sea

  We had returned home the previous night from the Wildlife Festival at around 10pm and just stayed awake long enough to finish packing to be ready for Sunday.The morning involved a 6hr car drive from Lincolnshire, up through Yorkshire and into Scotland.The weather started taking a turn for the worse as we drove over the Yorkshire Dales.

                             

  Arriving in Stranraer a hour before our ferry from Cairnryan gave us chance to scan Loch Ryan for birds.There were Oystercatchers, Black-backed Gulls and Eiders with young chicks along the shore.

  The 2 hours on the ferry gave me chance to stand outside and sea watch during the crossing.Majella not surprisingly stayed inside where it was warmer and drier.lol

                                      

  As we left Scotland, from the ferry I could make out the 1100ft+ island of Ailsa Craig.I knew scanning the waters between the ferry and island would produce plenty of bird life.I saw Guillemots and Gannets in their hundreds with a well-named "plunging" of Gannets diving into the sea for fish.

  A Fulmar followed the wake of the ferry for around 10 minutes and several Manx Shearwaters were gliding low over the sea's surface.The highlight of the crossing came not long before we reached Larne with a solitary Black Guillemot sat bobbing on the Irish Sea.

  It's always worth keeping your binoculars on you on any ferry as you never know what you might see.Well worth getting cold and wet for :)

Day 12     Relaxing Sketch Day

  After the travelling of the last couple of days I knew we were not going to get out anywhere or do much while in mum-in-laws house in Newry, Northern Ireland so I thought I would try and do a wildlife sketch.

  I was unsure of what to draw and then used the inspiration of meeting Peter Egan and decided to try and sketch a Moon Bear.

  So this is my attempt.

                             

  Without doing the 30 Days Wild challenge I would've probably just watched tv all day so it was a great incentive to use my mind a bit more even though I didn't get outdoors :)

 Many thanks again for putting up with my blogs and taking the time to have a look through them :) I am in Northern Ireland for the next week so will see what "wild" adventures I can come up with so please check in again :)