A belated Happy New Year to you, I trust you all had a peaceful Christmas. Mine was incredibly busy, but all rather enjoyable.
Hopefully you are all now fully recharged and ready to start a whole new year of nature watching.
I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions but I do like to try and set myself some goals for the forthcoming year. First and foremost I want to try and get back out there in the great outdoors and start enjoying the changing of all the seasons, and the different species of wildlife that brings.
We are supposed to be in the middle of winter right now, but you wouldn’t believe it. I have already seen snow drops in flower at Slimbridge, and the local Jackdaws and Woodpigeons here in Tonyrefail are already showing signs of looking for nest sites. Robins are in full voice, defending their territories in readiness for the spring. The latter I can observe from my bedroom window of my house, which brings me neatly to my first challenge of the New Year. I always set aside an hour for the Big Garden Birdwatch weekend at the end of this month. I hope you have all signed up to take part in this biggest annual survey in the UK. I particularly like this challenge as it has led so many other aspects of citizen science for me, and hopefully will for you too. If you enjoy the Big Garden Birdwatch weekend, why not sign up to the BTO Garden Bird Watch, which is in essence the same survey each week? You can do it very simply on-line, there is a small signing up fee, and you get an excellent bird identification book. And if you enjoy that, why not have a go at Birdtrack. The new app for smart phones is one the best things that has happened over the past few years, it so easy to use once you have signed up. Why not combine a bit of citizen science whilst out strolling or walking the dog. You will be helping the RSPB and the BTO immensely in the process. If you’re a bit of a statto like me, you can analyse your data on the website at your leisure, and see what birds have been seen in your local area or patch by fellow Birdtrackers.
Another challenge I have this year is to walk my local patch far more. I started out with good intentions in 2013, and got some lovely local species such as Red Kite and a Stonechat, that I would have never believed were there to be found on my doorstep. The council have added a new path that cuts through the local woodlands here; it looks like it will have great potential come spring time. I will hopefully be blogging on what I see on here in the months to come. Why not explore your local patch this year if you haven’t already? And once you have done that, why not try somewhere new? I am hoping to visit a few new places here in South Wales this year. I’ve still not really explored Kenfig Nature Reserve, and I have a whole book of Birding Walks in Gwent to work through over the coming months, but top of my list for 2014 is get to RSPB Conwy. It’s been far too long since I have been to North Wales. Whilst I am up there I hope to see my target bird for this year, the Hawfinch. There seem to be quite regular sightings of them at RSPB Conway as well as RSPB Nagshead in Gloucestershire, another reserve on my hit list for this year.
The 2014 year list started well, with my first tick being a Green Woodpecker on my brother’s lawn on New Year’s Day. Slightly more exciting than the Woodpigeon or Jackdaw I usually get. A visit to Slimbridge last week has boosted that list to 67 and a life tick of watching and photographing a Bank Vole, which was quite special. I also saw my first “wild” Great Crane Project Cranes feeding in the water logged fields, something that I missed last year. Now, if I can only see the ever elusive Bittern either there or at Forest Farm, that would give this year’s list a real boost!
2014 is already shaping up to be an exciting year, and one in which I hope to reconnect to my passion for all things wild and wonderful. Why not set yourself some of the challenges this year I have mentioned above or just start in your back garden and put some nest boxes or bug hotels up in the coming weeks. Plant some wildlife friendly patches in your garden to see what you can attract, you will be amazed even in the middle of an urban sprawl what insect life will feed from the nectar rich flowers.
2013 was all about Giving Nature a Home; let’s carry on that good work into Spring 2014!
© All Images Anthony Walton