Blogger: Adam Murray, Communications Officer
What a difference 3 months makes, just 2040 little hours. Before working for the RSPB, I was a lover of the natural world in all its glorious splendour and being WOWed by the smaller day to day things that pass us by. I would wake to the dawn chorus that would put a smile on my face, oblivious to what was actually making the orchestra of sound. I would be able to spot a blackbird, a magpie and a splendid darting chaffinch. But really I would be interested in just getting out there and enjoying the natural world in its wonderfully complex entirety. This, I realise, I share with a lot of you good people out there but I have now had a sneaky peak into the world of "I know what this is, do you?"
In other words, when you start knowing what the more obscure sounding birds are; from a wigeon to smew or a phalarope to a hoopoe, then you just can't help yourself but find that ingrained competitive nature or slight smugness when you tell yourself or others what the little brown job is called. Not only that but it also helps when you know how rare these different beasties are. I can see the attraction in being able to identify the unusual sounding bird and know that here in the East we may have 80% of the UK population.
So now my Lovely Other Half is already commenting on how my language has changed since working at the RSPB. Yesterday, after a day at Minsmere, I was excited to report not on the lovely sunny day or a nice walk in the woods (although that was also the case) but that I had heard my first booming bittern and seen an elusive Cetti's warbler. It is very very infectious indeed. It is like seeing the natural world, which I love, through a new pair of superduper-"Nature is Amazing"-type glasses. I will always be an all rounder nature lover but it is a real eye opener to hear about what weird and wonderful creatures are out there so close to home.
Photo Credit: Adam Murray (RSPB)