Monday, 10 March 2025

The Birds of 2025 - February

 

At this stage, is there any point saying much? It's year 6 of keeping count of all the beautiful birds I'm lucky enough to photograph and I can't stop now! Last year I surpassed my goal and photographed 101 species all within the North East of England alone. I'm not sure if I'll manage to beat that amazing number in 2025 but I'm happy to try. Here is what I photographed in February!




Taken 2nd February - At Home
Blackbird
Robin
Blue Tit
















Taken 3rd February - At RSPB Saltholme
Robin
Greenfinch
Canada Goose
Greylag Goose
Lapwing
Goldeneye
Wigeon
Shoveler
Kestrel
Common Pochard
Coot
Stock Dove







Taken 4th February - At Home
Sparrowhawk



Taken 5th February - At Home
Wood Pigeon





Taken 6th February - At Home
Magpie
Blue Tit
Rock Dove



Taken 8th February - At Home
Blackbird


Taken 15th February - At Home
Wood Pigeon











Taken 17th February - At Sandhaven Beach, South Shields
Carrion Crow
Black Headed Gull
Cormorant
Herring Gull



Taken 25th February - At York
Rock Dove
Canada Goose


Taken 26th February - At Home
Wood Pigeon

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Before I sat down to put this post together, I thought that I hadn't photographed many birds throughout last month. However, I ended up being able to add 11 species to my total, which is pretty cool considering there were only two actual birding trips! 



Annual Total - 

Blackbird
Black Headed Gull
Blue Tit
Bullfinch
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Coal Tit
Common Pochard
Coot

Cormorant
Curlew
Dunnock
Goldeneye
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Greenfinch
Greylag Goose
Herring Gull
House Sparrow

Kestrel
Lapwing
Long Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mute Swan
Nuthatch
Phesant
Reed Bunting
Robin
Rock Dove

Shelduck
Shoveler
Song Thrush
Sparrowhawk
Starling
Stock Dove
Stonechat
Tufted Duck
Wigeon
Wood Pigeon

Total - 40


Monthly Totals
January - 29
February - 11


Saturday, 8 March 2025

The Missing Lynx Project

 



It isn't new information that I'm a nature nerd, animal advocate and environmental enthusiast. Without our natural world, we are nothing and so doing everything we can to protect it and encourage it to flourish is extremely important.
When it comes to the animal kingdom, we as human animals have pushed it to a breaking point - right now, we're going through another mass extinction at our own hands. We've messed with the natural order of our environments by wiping out native species, and introducing non-native and invasive species, and we need to restore as much as we can while we can. One of these species is the Lynx.

On 27th February, Mr H and I visited The Missing Lynx Project Exhibition at Kirkley Hall College while on its tour. Here are some photos from our experience.




















This exhibition was incredible. One of the best I've ever been to, and if you are near Scotland's Rural College, Dumfries or Hawick Town Hall in March and April respectively, I highly recommend you take the time to visit it. Not only was it an immersive, interactive, and relaxing experience, but there was also ample information about Lynx as a species, the project itself and why we need to reintroduce Lynx into their natural home counties to restore our ecosystems and heal our landscapes. 

To learn more about the project please pop on over to the website The Missing Lynx Project.

I hope to see the day where more native species are reintroduced and our country can become what it once was.