Eco-birding coutesy of Chris Packham

The safari had an enforced day indoors today, so what better opportunity than to have a go at Chris Packham's idea of eco-birding. That is going nowhere but doing a 24 hour watch of the garden instead. Having said that we always go somewhat eco-safari-ing with the emissions from the Land Rover's current batch of recycled biofuel being 65% less than normal fuel.

Many moons ago, in the mid eighties, I applied to be on a certain Really Wild Show but as you may have guessed I wasn't a successful applicant.
So off to the kitchen to make a spaghetti 'bollock naked' for dinner (we never have Sunday roasts at Base Camp). Armed with a chopping knife in one hand, my Swazzas in the other and Frank - ever hopeful for spillage - under my feet, the watch started. Not too hopefully as the wind sends sheets of driving rain down the garden and is trying to bend the trees double.

The show mentioned a guy from Southampton who had totalled 40 species - the safari ain't gonna get anything like that!

Seen and heard count..so what have we got
Redwing - heard over - retrospectively last night

Kestrel - dusk last night

Herring Gull - over

Black Headed Gull - over

Feral Pigeon - over

Greenfinch - feeder - and no matter how much photoshopping you do you can't get an out of focus pic anything like half decent!

Goldfinch - feeder

Magpie - over

Woodpigeon - in garden

Starling - over but see link for spectacular swirling pics from nature reserve yesterday - told you we left far too early

Blackbird - attracted to next door's windfall pears

Sparrowhawk - over

That's the lot - fantastic...hahaha

Where to next? That spag bog smells good and needs eating!

In the meantime let us know what's cooking up a storm in your outback