Antarctica must be the most intriguing and magical place on earth. I don't just want to visit it, but to live there for a while, spend time, get to know it. I've researched working, studying and doing my own research there, but nothing is really feasible at the moment.
Whilst in Norfolk this week I was chatting to my friend about the things we'd both like to do and the places we'd both like to go. Along with Kilimanjaro, Antarctica is on both of our lists. Sitting in the pub on Sunday evening I browsed through a local tourist magazine whilst Valinda was at the bar. There was nothing of particular interest until I got near the end and saw an article about winning a trip to Antarctica. This just reinforces my belief that if you talk about things, write them down, bring them to the forefront of your mind, then things happen. This isn't magic or fate, it's just a case of tuning oneself in to the opportunities that are around us all the time. Even if I hadn't been thinking of Antarctica, that article would still have been in the magazine. Only difference would be that I would have just flicked over the page and not paid any attention to it.
So, now I have a competition to enter. I've looked on the website and it all seems very simple - just take some award winning photographs in a wetlands centre. Hm, well with my simple point and shoot camera and my lack of award winning photography skills it might be a bit harder than it looks. But even though I don't have much hope of winning, by entering and taking it seriously I should improve my photography skills, get to go to Martin Mere wetland centre (which I've never been to) and improve my knowledge of birds which is something I'm trying to do anyway.
Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Peregrine falcon
I drove home from Exmoor via Cheddar. I'd walked around here a few years ago, but hadn't been in the caves. As I like caves I felt like I'd missed out. I spent most of the day here and bought a day ticket which gave me admission to both sets of caves, the museum and an open top bus tour through the gorge.
First I went into Gough's Cave which I walked through with an audio guide. Unfortunately the audio guides, which are included with the price of the ticket, are aimed at children. It would have been nice to have had an adult version giving me facts about the caves rather than telling me 'when my parents are ready' to do this, that and the other! The caves were well worth seeing though, with lots of interesting formations. There were racks of cheeses maturing inside too.
Next I went down the road to Cox's Cave and the Crystal Quest. The name itself had me a bit worried and I was right. I know I was in Cheddar, but do things really have to be this cheesy? The cave was a lot smaller than Gough's Cave and most of it was some kind of adventure quest with dummies and voices and sound effects leading you through in search of some kind of magic crystal.
The museum was quite interesting as was the bus tour through the gorge. The guide pointed out a layby where the RSPB had a telescope set up watching a couple of peregrine falcons who had nested at the top of the gorge. When I got back to my car I drove back to the layby and stopped for a while to chat to the RSPB people and check out the falcons. I was just too late to see the male fly off and the female was nowhere to be seen. I decided to stick around for a bit and was glad I did. After a while the male reappeared and flew round for a bit before coming in to land. Once back on top of the gorge he was very difficult to see. But patience paid off and he took off again for another fly round before settling in a much more viewable position.
He was wonderful to see, but if I'd been there without the RSPB pointing things out and making them obvious I'd probably have never noticed him. I've been trying to learn about birds for a while now. It would nice to know what it is flying past me when I'm out walking and I should be learning about all things nature-ish for my walking group leader's qualification. I find it hard to identify birds as when I look in a bird book they never quite look the same. I've thought about joining the RSPB on and off for a few years now, and I think I really should. Their magazines might help me with gaining knowledge and I'd be quite happy to support them. But as I've spent way too much money lately, it will have to wait a while.
First I went into Gough's Cave which I walked through with an audio guide. Unfortunately the audio guides, which are included with the price of the ticket, are aimed at children. It would have been nice to have had an adult version giving me facts about the caves rather than telling me 'when my parents are ready' to do this, that and the other! The caves were well worth seeing though, with lots of interesting formations. There were racks of cheeses maturing inside too.
Next I went down the road to Cox's Cave and the Crystal Quest. The name itself had me a bit worried and I was right. I know I was in Cheddar, but do things really have to be this cheesy? The cave was a lot smaller than Gough's Cave and most of it was some kind of adventure quest with dummies and voices and sound effects leading you through in search of some kind of magic crystal.
The museum was quite interesting as was the bus tour through the gorge. The guide pointed out a layby where the RSPB had a telescope set up watching a couple of peregrine falcons who had nested at the top of the gorge. When I got back to my car I drove back to the layby and stopped for a while to chat to the RSPB people and check out the falcons. I was just too late to see the male fly off and the female was nowhere to be seen. I decided to stick around for a bit and was glad I did. After a while the male reappeared and flew round for a bit before coming in to land. Once back on top of the gorge he was very difficult to see. But patience paid off and he took off again for another fly round before settling in a much more viewable position.
He was wonderful to see, but if I'd been there without the RSPB pointing things out and making them obvious I'd probably have never noticed him. I've been trying to learn about birds for a while now. It would nice to know what it is flying past me when I'm out walking and I should be learning about all things nature-ish for my walking group leader's qualification. I find it hard to identify birds as when I look in a bird book they never quite look the same. I've thought about joining the RSPB on and off for a few years now, and I think I really should. Their magazines might help me with gaining knowledge and I'd be quite happy to support them. But as I've spent way too much money lately, it will have to wait a while.
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Books
On my days off from walking I went on a book hunt in Minehead's charity shops and tourist office, and Dunster National Trust shop and got myself a few bargains.
I've got a few bird books but never take even the smallest of them out with me when I'm walking as I don't want to carry the extra weight. Then I see a bird and want to know what it is. I look it up when I get home but by that time I don't remember exactly what it looked like, just that it was small and brown (usually). My bird books have about twenty small, brown birds in them so I end up no wiser.
So when I spotted the 'I Spy' bird book in the tourist office I pounced on it straight away. It's meant for children and is basically a tick list so they can tick off the birds they see, but it's small, light, has clear pictures and basic descriptions and was only £2.50. I was so pleased I bought the one on wild flowers too.
I also picked up a printed out copy of the Southwest Coast Path Association's guide to the section of the path I'm walking. It has quite a lot of detail and should be quite useful.
Then I found a big, softback geology book which seemed quite simple. Most of the geology books I've looked at are categorised into sections that you have to understand before you can find anything. I really need an idiot's guide to get me started off and so hopefully this will do the job.
One of my best finds though, was in the secondhand bookshop in Porlock. I found a Reader's Digest book on being a countryside detective. It's big, chunky and hardback so definitely not one for the backpack. But it'll be good to have in the car or to read at home. It beautifully laid out and is very simple; pefect for my level of inexpertise. it tells me what can be found where and how to find it. Wonderful.
So all in all, a very productive couple of days book hunting.
I've got a few bird books but never take even the smallest of them out with me when I'm walking as I don't want to carry the extra weight. Then I see a bird and want to know what it is. I look it up when I get home but by that time I don't remember exactly what it looked like, just that it was small and brown (usually). My bird books have about twenty small, brown birds in them so I end up no wiser.
So when I spotted the 'I Spy' bird book in the tourist office I pounced on it straight away. It's meant for children and is basically a tick list so they can tick off the birds they see, but it's small, light, has clear pictures and basic descriptions and was only £2.50. I was so pleased I bought the one on wild flowers too. I also picked up a printed out copy of the Southwest Coast Path Association's guide to the section of the path I'm walking. It has quite a lot of detail and should be quite useful.
Then I found a big, softback geology book which seemed quite simple. Most of the geology books I've looked at are categorised into sections that you have to understand before you can find anything. I really need an idiot's guide to get me started off and so hopefully this will do the job. 
One of my best finds though, was in the secondhand bookshop in Porlock. I found a Reader's Digest book on being a countryside detective. It's big, chunky and hardback so definitely not one for the backpack. But it'll be good to have in the car or to read at home. It beautifully laid out and is very simple; pefect for my level of inexpertise. it tells me what can be found where and how to find it. Wonderful. So all in all, a very productive couple of days book hunting.
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