Biking Birder makes a return...and I go for a walk!

Today saw the return of the Biking Birder - Gary Prescott - to the reserve as part of his marathon journey around the UK.

I will let Gary explain what he is up to and how you can help......

"This year I will once more be taking to my bicycle in order to visit every RSPB nature reserve, of which there are over 200 around the UK. I will also visit all of the WWT nature reserves.

My aim is to break the UK Green birding year list record which currently stands at 251. Secretly I might add that my real ambition for this trip is to reach the unimaginable 300.

To this end I will be cycling south in January, heading from my home near to Bromsgrove, Worcestershire towards Kent. Then I will be cycling the south coast to Land's End, back up the west coast into Wales, across to Northern Ireland. Now here I have a Green problem in that I will need to take a ferry - 50 shades of green?

Once back into England it's across to East Anglia for the whole of May, over to Lancashire and into Scotland in June. More ferries I am afraid as I explore the fabulous RSPB reserves of the Western Isles of Scotland in July before reaching Orkney in August.

The whole of both September and October will be spent on Shetland. November is for cycling down the east coast of Scotland and England. December is for cycling to any rare bird that I haven't seen during the year.

All of this starts at Upton Warren Worcestershire Wildlife Trust reserve on the first of January and ends there on the 31st of December.

As well as the aim of 300 bird species, (305 would get me the European Green Birding record), I will be asking people for donations towards three charities and a project for children at Chaskawasi/Salvacion in the Manu jungle in Peru.

The charities are:-

The RSPB - Britain's largest nature charity.

The WWT - Sir Peter Scott's creation, my childhood hero.

Asthma UK - the leading charity for asthma in the UK. I am asthmatic and appreciate their efforts.

Each day I will endeavour to count and list the birds I see, I will try to update this blog and embellish it with photographs. Back in 2010 I didn't have a decent enough camera to photograph the birds. I hope that my new Canon SX50 and I will be up to the task.

There will be facebook and twitter entries. Have a look at Biking Birder 2015 on FB and follow my blog at http://bikingbirder2015.blogspot.co.uk/

If anyone has any thoughts or advice, can offer bird information as I cycle into your county, area, patch or can offer a cup of tea (I'll bring the biscuits) then please message me using either of the above facebook pages or my email -  bikingbirder2010@hotmail.com "

Anyway, the extra plus point for me today, as well as seeing my Brummy friend, was that I managed to get out and stretch my legs and walk the reserve with him. I had underestimated just how cold it was but we had a good, if blustery amble around.

The Water Rail showed incredibly well on the Terrapin Pool and Alan Shearman was on hand to take some shots as this plump individual probed at close range....  fantastic.

Cheers Alan!

The Peregrines were sat up on their pylon and headed out onto Aveley for some hunting practice... even more amazing in the windy conditions. Twisting flock of massed Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shoveler scttered to avaoid the attention before splashing down onto the Butts Scrape pools. Even now they were still not safe with both falcons diving in and causing dabblers to become divers.

A breathing space but not for long, the adult female Marsh Harrier glided onto the pools causing even more panic but even she was cautious not to attract the attention of the pair of Ravens that were scavenging out on the grass as they like nothing better than to have a pop as they quarter overhead.

Cetti's Warblers were calling but not singing from the reeds and Stonechats were sitting sentinal up on top of the remains of last years Reedmace. There is almost no crop this year for us so the chances of Penduline Tit become even slimmer.

Out on Wennington a Buzzard was being harried by the Crows while beneath it an amazing four more female / immature Marsh Harriers were all hunting low into the wind over the central reeds. With the two males that once again gives us at least seven birds out on the marsh. Who would have though that just two or three years ago? The Peregrines were also putting up all the Lapwing and squadrons of perfect V Golden Plovers; the latters plaintive calls seeming coming out of nowhere before you realised just how high they had gone.

Little Egrets foot paddled and a few Fieldfare were hanging around the Ouzel fields but by the time we got to the river the tide was a tad too high and despite our best efforts I only managed a couple of briefly calling Rock and Meadow Pipits and a Great Crested Grebe on the cold walk back along the Victorian riverwall.

The day was rounded up back at the centre where a few gulls (including Yellow-legged) were added to his list and a fine brick sized piece of hot homemade bread pudding was hopefully enough to fortify him for the arduous mile peddle to his hotel for the night.

Tomorrow Gary heads east for the South Essex Marshes reserves of Vange, Bowers and West Canvey although I also suspect some time in the hide at Wat Tyler will be required too before he hits the lights of Southend Seafront....

So if you are around tomorrow look out for a bearded gentleman with a dayglo yellow cycling hat, a bike weighed down with panniers of all sizes and a slightly soiled Albatross, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Bob the Red Squirrel hanging onto the front for dear life.  He usually has biscuits but responds well to offer of a hot beverage.

Good luck Gary!  We will be watching your progress.....

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