After two busy days of birding, let me share some more stories from the home front... apologies for the late post!
I had the most amazing time in Alaska and there's still more to come, and more to share with all of you of course... but now I'm back in the UK, I've been out and about in the South of England enjoying the nature fix I so desperately needed. Today we ventured out all over the New Forest to do a spot of birdwatching.
The rivers and dense forest in this part of the country are fantastic to see small passerines and the open areas of heathland are prime habitat for those looking for something a little easier to spot... raptors! Today we saw buzzards and a goshawk, usually there is more to see but it was rather windy. Hobbies are seen plucking insects from above trees and low bushes when the wind isn't so ferocious, and if it's warm and the thermals are active there's everything from kestrels to sparrow-hawks. A brilliant day topped off by the fact I was being taught the ways of UK birding by the master, Peter. Anyone who can identify birds without even seeing them (and some I'd never even heard of) gets my respect anyday! We also did some tree identification in the Arboretum, a place where trees from all over the world are collected together so people can see them. Kind of like a very tall green art gallery! It certainly showed me how diabolical my knowledge of trees is... I definitely need to brush up! (No pun intended... honest :) )
I'm heading back home tomorrow, away from the New Forest to my dismay, but back home with lots of people I need to definitely see before I venture out to the last frontier once more. Updates... hopefully often!
Fly safe,
G x
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