Second week back after the Xmas break and I'm starting to catch up with things. Lots of hopefully interetsting stories on the horizon, but we'll kick off the year with a review of what's been catching my eye over the past week.
To start off with I have to congratulate Rob Farrington and Paul Morton over at Arne for their new YouTube channel. I love the idea of DIY broadcasting and in their first two "Arne Diaries" I think we have the begininngs of wildlife film making's first double act. Check it out, and subscribe even, here. I do hope we see more of Paul's bird impressions - maybe even a regular feature?
And on the subject of the interweb and social media you can follow both RSPB Arne and RSPB Weymouth on Twitter. You can also follow my regional Twitter to @RSPBSouthWest. I was much impressed by the simple power of Twitter just before christmas when a small online campaign resulted in the generous donation of bird feeders to replace those stolen recently from outside the visitor centre at Arne. Good on our generous followers!
Up in Somerset the Great Crane Project carries on apace. I spent last friday with Damon Bridge, the project manager, recording a feature for BBC Radio Four's Saving Species with Brett Westwood. A good time was had by all, and the views of the 18 cranes were wonderful. They were all happily feeding on short grass and stubbles out on the Somerset Levels and Moors. What struck me was how variable they all were. Some still looked very much like youngsters with their drab buff brown plumages, while others were starting to look a little more like adults. One in particular had white cheek patches and hints of red on the crown. All very nice. They also sounded great too; a mix of juvenile trilling and some very adult calls that reminded me of brent geese.
The programme was broadcast today and you can hear it here.
Also very much on my mind is that new year celebration of our garden friends - Big Garden Birdwatch. As ever it's on 29 and 30th january and all you need to know is here. In our household we do have "a bit of a thing" about garden birds and seem to spend what may be unhealthy amounts of time watching their comings and goings. But it's certainly rewarding - and this winter has been exceptional in both the diversity and numbers of birds we've seen. The highlights have been wintering goldcrest, blackcaps, redwing, fieldfare and the most ever brambling we seen.
If you want to have a glimpse of these, and a bit of shameless self promotion, do have a look at our own (non RSPB) garden birds website here, not least for the latest short film of brambling and fieldfare and some close up pics of goldcrest. Of course all of these will have gone by the Birdwatch weekend!
Tony Whitehead