It was a lovely surprise to find how plentiful the variety of birds were when we went birdwatching in the UK over the holidays. And such a tonic as the few months building up to the holidays were high stress and very busy, hence me being absent for so long.
Most of my time was taken up with knitting a shawl for my mother-in-law for her Christmas present. It’s my own fault really, I am not a fast knitter but because I waited until October to start I was dedicating up to 8 hours a day. I did not take after my Grandma, who could knit up a cricket jumper for my dad in a week, including cables! So I would be knitting like a mad woman at a somewhat snail’s pace.
It was the smallest yarn I’ve used to date. I had to wear my readers over my bifocals to see what I was doing. Thankfully I had it done in time and she loved it.
That meant, by the time we arrived in the UK, I was ready for a break and relaxation. Because the winters there are so mild, we spent a lot of time outside. Where we live currently, the winters are harsh and bitterly cold most of the time so we were wandering round without many layers while the locals were in their arctic fur. I felt hot most of the time! Makes for a welcome break in the winter.
Being able to spend so much time outside allowed for some really good birdwatching. I know in the UK the songbird population has taken quite a hit but compared to where we live, it was wonderful hearing all the different songs.
There were three main spots where I had the best luck. The first spot was at Harmon’s Cross. Swanage Railway had a winter event that they put on before they start the January maintenance. The times between the trains was enough that we found ourselves with an empty platform. There was a spot where bird feed was left out and the birds were flitting about. I stood very still and I was rewarded.
My mother-in-law took us twice to the RSPB Arne in Dorset. It’s an incredible conservation area that covers many different types of environments. You have woodland, grassland, heather, water, etc. Such a variety of birds to find.
At the car park, they had several feeders and it was like rush hour with the songbirds rapidly flitting in and out. Again I took loads of pics in the hope I could get some good ones. I’m amazed, given the speed of some, that they managed to actually get bird seed.
The areas for watching birds in the water were breathtaking. It was so calming just sitting in a hide and watching them go about their day.
We did see spoon bills but they were too far away for me to capture clearly with my 300mm lens. We discovered that many birds were just beyond my lens. I would love to hear from those that do bird photography, the pros and cons of a teleconverter vs a 150mm-600mm lens. Trying to decide which direction to go in.
The end of the holiday was spent in London with my son as he had to get back to school. I was taking him to Churchill’s War Rooms and we cut through St James Park. I was taken aback at all the different birds there. I only used my phone for these pictures as I wanted to make sure my son had time at the War Rooms. If I’d taken out my proper camera, we would have been there a long time.
My mother-in-law had joked I needed to get pictures of pelicans. Imagine my surprise at seeing pelicans in the middle of London.
We also saw a Black Swan, Blue Heron, some Coots, Barnacle Geese and Moor hens.
I can’t wait to explore more RSPB areas and coastal walks. We will probably have to do a boat trip along the cliffs in Dorset as that’s what you have to do to see Puffins. That would be fascinating.
