Actually, I did go back to Rock Creek Park this morning, but to a new bit with some different people. Greg Butcher, the Conservation Director of National Audubon was kind enough to take me birding and on a stroll through the park next to Rock Creek itself. We added to the warbler list with Tennessee…
Author: Mark
Born Bristol, UK
Educated: Cleeve House School Bristol, Bristol Grammar School and Downing College Cambridge
Ph.D. University of Aberdeen, Winter activity of pipistrelle bats.
NERC post-doctoral Research Fellow, Edward Grey Institute, Oxford University
Former Conservation Director of the RSPB, 1989-2011
Rock Creek Park 2
Yesterday was great, and today was even better. Better in several senses – I was less jet-lagged, we had some good birds and we had some great views of a stunning Magnolia Warbler. The Rock Creek Park Crowd were regathering together in this green, wooded area within Washington DC soon after 615am. Warbler species added…
Confusing spring warblers
My old copy of the Peterson field guide has a couple of plates of confusing fall warblers. And they do look confusing. But this morning I got confused too – in the famous Rock Creek Park. I joined a group of birders and we were looking for migrating warblers high up in the trees. My guide was…
The same and different
You never imagine your holidays in the rain do you? But when I woke up at 4am local time it was raining hard. Still a Northern Mockingbird sang outside – I didn’t feel mocked at all. As well as the birds being different – or some of them anyway – we’ll come back to that…
A cure for jet lag?
I spent yesterday evening with a bunch of nature conservationists in Washington Zoo. And then we sat outside in the warm evening air, had a beer or two and talked about nature conservation and about birds. Not so different from Home really. In fact the topics were very similar – do we do nature conservation…
Around the States in 40 days
Comments Off on Around the States in 40 days
I got here and the first bird I saw was … a starling. Yep a small flock feeding on some grass in central Washington. But I am glad to see there is still a Northern Mockingbird in the street outside the Tabard Inn where I am staying.
Springing across the pond
It’s late spring here in east Northants. It’s over a month since I saw my first sand martins, chiffchaffs, blackcaps and willow warblers. I’ve seen, locally, a good list of spring-bringers – those mentioned already and garden warbler, sedge warbler, reed warbler, grasshopper warbler, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, cuckoo, nightingale, yellow wagtail, swallow, house martin, common…
Big Society and Small Government
Yesterday morning I was up early and doing my first Breeding Bird Survey visit of the year. I started at 6am and it was all a bit dull weather-wise, but by 730am the sun was out although the easterly wind was quite strong. I’ve written before about how this volunteer/NGO/government agency/government partnership is a good…
Guest blog – by ‘Mr White’
Dr Mark Avery – supporter of vulnerable creatures in the sporting field by Mr White, ‘Reservoir Cats‘ Mark Avery, who ‘died’ on April 28th aged 53, spent the best years of his working life as Director of Conservation for the RSPB. A public holiday has been declared in Norfolk to celebrate his loss. Arthur Balsam,…
Shooting Times fails again
Shooting Times was held up and then weakened a long way out in yesterday’s 3:20 at Perth – of course it’s a horse, what did you think? Oh you were thinking about the magazine, were you? Well, maybe, if you were then you’ll be amused that Western Bound won that race easily. I’ll be off…