THE Biking Birder - Green Birding Adventures Over the Years: 2022-02-06

Saturday, 12 February 2022

BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 4th February, Through Worcester and Tewkesbury, with an Acorns Children's Hospice visit!

Donations : Acorns

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GaryPrescott2022

Many thanks to . . .

Lindsey Moore, Anonymous, Lindsey Barthorpe, Julie, Sue, Julie (Upton Warren), Ian "Seagulls" Morris, Larraine Tayleure, Andrew Bayes, Andy Pitt,Andrea, P & P, Moira, Jackie Griffiths, Bob, Keep U, Rosie, Jayne Grosvenor, Jane & Andy Revell, Louise, Stuart Griffiths, M & D Shaw, Dave & Sue White, Janette Lowndes, Bart, Lise Hanson, Maria Hill, Phil V, Chris Elmer, Sue Murphy, Nicky, John Hague, Mike, Kimberley Bills, Norma Hines, Rob Gilbert, Julia, Colin Graham, Sarah Moreton, Lizzy, Lisa Hillier, Rob Leech, &P.

And also many thanks to the person from Llandudno who sent money directly to Acorns Children's Hospice, stating 'The Biking Birder' in the letter. Brilliant! Thanks.

Acorns Children's Hospice

Total so far . . .

£810 plus gift aid

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Donations : RSPB

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bikingbirdervii-2022

Many thanks to . . .

Lindsey Moore, Julia, Nicky M, Karen and Richard Blackburn, Paul Moseley, Susan, Jim Royer, Anonymous, Foz, anonymous, Phil (Upton Warren), Dad and RSPB Badges sold, P & P, Moira, Jill from Dorking, Nicky M, Terri Akers, Anne Beckett, Maria Hill, Mark Carter, P

Gary's RSPB Justgiving page link

Total so far . . .

£446 plus gift aid

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4th February 2022 To Gloucester

On the road again after a night sleeping in a bird hide, I am so lucky not to be soaked! I wake in the morning to find that the only part of the bird hide floor not wet from incoming rain, is the spot where my mattress and sleeping bag lie!

Through Droitwich and on to Worcester, the going is fine and I stop at Worcester Cathedral for a short break, sandwich and drink.

Cycling out of Worcester, I come across an Acorns Children's Hospice! Now I did know there was one in Worcester somewhere, there are three Acorns Children's Hospices, one in Walsall/Black Country, one in Birmingham and this one in Worcester but I didn't know where in Worcester. There it is!

Of course I call in!

Fabulous to meet Treena, Sue, Brian and Toby but I decline their kind offer of a coffee. I have a long way to go and with such a beautiful day weather-wise, cycling is a pleasure.

Nostalgia time for me as I reach Tewkesbury. Back when I was a teenager, I used to go for a week or so to my Grandparents' caravan in Tewkesbury. So I spend an hour or so going to spots I remember from those long off days.

The past photograph shows where they had their caravan and is the spot I used to love to spend time fishing from.

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Charity Pledges

These are the names of people who have made a pledge to pay so much per bird species seen at the end of the year to either one of the charities I am supporting or to both.

Lee Dark, Mary & Brian Prescott, Joshua Prescott, Rebecca Prescott and Les Oxley-Stoker, Donna Prescott.

Massive thanks to everyone who has either made a donation or made a pledge.

Wonderful.

If anyone would like to make a pledge, say 1p for every bird specie I see this year, with the thought that I think I will see around 280-90 different species, then please message me. It would be fabulous to hear from you. Thanks.

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Biking Birder I - 2010

There is one of the crew from the past who is missing from this year's Biking Birder adventure, Barnaby the Geography Association Bear.

Back in 2010, Albert the RSPB Albatross was on the bike, as was Sid the Wildfowl & Wetland Trust rainforest frog. They are both with me now, together with new friends.

Barnaby though is not. I gave Barnaby to some children who were travelling with their Mum and Dad on the ferry over to the Outer Hebridean island of Harris. On their way to a new life, the family were moving there from England. This was back in 2015. I wonder how they are and Barnaby?

Anyway, here's a few photographs of Barnaby the Bear from 2010 . . .

Barnaby Bear with Gordon Barnes' Great Bustard, a story for next time.

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Thursday, 10 February 2022

BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 Feb 9th Brean Sands, Somerset - Black Redstart, Ro...

BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 Feb 9th Burnham on Sea, Somerset - Six BIGBY birds...

10th February 2022

Hello Sunshine People! xx

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

Thank you to : 

Anonymous and Lindsey Barthorpe. for their donations to Acorns Children's Hospice 

and to :

Karen & Richard Blackburn, Julia and Nicky M. for their donations to the RSPB.

Brilliant to wake up early, just approaching 6.00 am and find the donations emails.

So, please someone make my great start to the day complete, please make a donation to one of the charities I am supporting.

Acorns Children's Hospice - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GaryPrescott2022 

RSPB - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bikingbirdervii-2022

Meanwhile, I have uploaded another on the bike chat videos . . . 

Have a fantastic day everyone. Me? I am off to the Somerset Levels. Lots of new birds to see, including hopefully a Mega rare - Baikal Teal. Wish me luck.

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Wednesday, 9 February 2022

BIKING BIRDER VI 2022 3rd February Upton Warren Worcestershire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve

Donations : Acorns

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GaryPrescott2022

Many thanks to . . .

Julie, Sue, Julie (Upton Warren), Ian "Seagulls" Morris, Larraine Tayleure, Andrew Bayes, Andy Pitt,Andrea, P & P, Moira, Jackie Griffiths, Bob, Keep U, Rosie, Jayne Grosvenor, Jane & Andy Revell, Louise, Stuart Griffiths, M & D Shaw, Dave & Sue White, Janette Lowndes, Bart, Lise Hanson, Maria Hill, Phil V, Chris Elmer, Sue Murphy, Nicky, John Hague, Mike, Kimberley Bills, Norma Hines, Rob Gilbert, Julia, Colin Graham, Sarah Moreton, Lizzy, Lisa Hillier, Rob Leech, &P.

Acorns Children's Hospice

Total so far . . .

£730 plus gift aid

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Donations : RSPB

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bikingbirdervii-2022

Many thanks to . . .

Paul Moseley, Susan, Jim Royer, Anonymous, Foz, anonymous, Phil (Upton Warren), Dad and RSPB Badges sold, P & P, Moira, Jill from Dorking, Nicky M, Terri Akers, Anne Beckett, Maria Hill, Mark Carter, P

Gary's RSPB Justgiving page link

Total so far . . .

£391 plus gift aid

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3rd February 2022 Upton Warren WWT

On the road again after a few days with Mum (89) and Dad (90), and am soon down to Upton Warren WWT nature reserve, south of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

Meet Phil and Andy, two birding friends for many years, in the car park on arrival to my old birding patch. Chat and donations, the perfect combination. Thanks lads!

I first came to this reserve back in 1972 when I was at school in Redditch. Ever since then over the too many decades, Upton Warren has been a much loved birding patch of mine whenever I have lived close by. The peak of my visiting the fabulous reserve was from 2004 to 2013 when I would visit as many as 100 times a year. Just love the place.

https://www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/nature-reserves/upton-warren

Down to the path adjacent to the Salwarpe, a narrow brook that goes down the southern side of The Moors area of the reserve, soon find a BIGBY bird list bird, Bramblings. Bird number 106.

Great to be walking around the reserve once more and even more so to be able to do some birding. As per usual, too much of a Biking Birding Adventure when trying to break a record, is spent cycling! LOL.

Into the West Hide, I sit and watch the pool, counting bird species and listing them to put on eBird when I get a chance.

Pheasant, Long-tailed Tits, finches all come to the bird feeders, Cetti's Warblers call, one to the left, the other to the right. Maybe they are one bird though! They do tend to move around unseen a lot.

In a tree along the pathway, viewable through the windows to the left of the hide, huge numbers of finches suddenly come up from the adjacent bird-seed crop field, mostly Linnets.

The local farmer will be paid £640 a hectare each year for the next five to plant bird seed crops and the incredible result of this initiative is that record numbers of finches are being seen at the reserve. This isn't a large field but this sort of assistance for nature has to be a initiative of the future.

All of this is told to me by Paul Moseley, an incredibly dedicated volunteer at The Warren. Paul also tells me of a new bird news only Upton Warren Biridng blog, set up by another brilliant Upton Warren birder, Gert Cortfield.

https://uptonwarrenbird.news.blog/

Whilst chatting with Paul, three ladies can be heard coming towards us; their laughter floating above the sound of the twittering finches.

Sue, Julie and Julie are local girls and all keen members of the Bromsgrove Photograohic Society. Pure Sunshine!

https://www.bromsgroveps.com/

Fabulous to hear their laughter and enthusiasm, they reminded me of birding at Jamaica Bay nature reserve, near to New York, US. there small gaggles of lady birders were more frequently encountered than male counterparts.

My late afternoon time is spent at the East Hide where a famous Upton Warren birder, Janette, is hoping to see a Barn Owl. Once more it is wonderful to chat with a birding friend.

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Charity Pledges

These are the names of people who have made a pledge to pay so much per bird species seen at the end of the year to either one of the charities I am supporting or to both.

Lee Dark, Mary & Brian Prescott, Joshua Prescott, Rebecca Prescott and Les Oxley-Stoker, Donna Prescott.

Massive thanks to everyone who has either made a donation or made a pledge.

Wonderful.

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