Tuesday 30 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday in June - The Highlights



30 Days Wild - A Wildlife Trust initiative for June 2015

The month has flown by and now we are at the end, I thought I would remind myself of the best bits and in some cases maybe the nature I would otherwise have missed.


Monday 1st June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 1 - Today I was up early with Dad as we had a nest box with baby blue tits in it (the official term is Pulley) in our garden in Somerset.

There were 5 in the nest, which is quite low for a number for Blue Tit which regularly have 3-4 more than that.


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing Blue Tit Pulley
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig checking a Blue Tit Nestbox
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Thursday 4th June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 4 - A walk into Compton Woods, at the top of our lane, onto the Mendip escarpment.  Smelling the garlic...


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose walking in Compton Woods
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig AKA Birdgirl


Saturday 6th June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 6 - Demonstrating the ringing (banding) of a beautiful Blackbird at Chew Valley Ringing Station to 17 young people (but old to me!) from Bristol Nature Network.

It was strange having so many photographs taken of you but great that people were so interested.  I had a million questions fired at me about ringing, how long I had been doing it, how I got into it, was it hard etc but felt quite pleased that I could answer them with something useful!


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose doing a ringing demonstration to Bristol Nature Network
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig AKA Birdgirl


Thursday 11 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 11 - The field opposite our house, abuts our garden across the road.  It is steep at the top, where it starts heading up the Mendip escarpment.  The field is really beautiful at the moment with long grass and wild flowers.

Today I walked to the very top of the field to admire the view. In this tranquility, I impulsively took of my shoes and danced in the field, rehearsing the ballet dance I am going to be performing in a upcoming show.



Dancing in this wild flower meadow
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Friday 12 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 12 - Today I went to The Avalon Marshes Centre on the Somerset Levels, after school.  This is where my Camp Avalon for young birders it taking place next weekend.  I had a look around to assess the best places for feeders, which I then filled and put up.  Hopefully, the birds will get used to feeding on the feeders so that when we put nets up, we'll catch some birds for ringing.





Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig assessing the habitat
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig



Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig filling feeders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Saturday 13 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday 

Day 13 - 13 June 2015 - Examining Brian up close


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with a snail  at Bristol Festival of Nature
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Today I spent the day at the Festival of Nature in Bristol, Britain's largest free nature festival.  I am so lucky to live here.

This photograph is taken with a BBC Natural History Unit long lens, and shows me getting close up to a snail as is used in lots of wildlife programmes.  Picture Sir David Attenborough looking at an ant.


We also went to see Bill Oddie speak and as expected he was very funny. He talked about lots of topics that I feel passionately about like Palm Oil Plantations in Borneo that have replaced virtually all of the rain forest out there, ringing as a child (I love it too), the crime of the government wanting to make hunting with dogs legal again and puffins.


I found Bill Oddie to be interested in me (he commented on my Birdgirl t-shirt and asked me which hummingbird it was - Swordbilled), as chatty as you can expect from real live person (in case they didn't realise the person on stage/TV is a persona and in my experience most comedians are not funny in normal conversations (my parents are friends with a few).


Bill Oddie with Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at Bristol Festival of Nature
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Sunday 21 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 21 - Today I did another ringing demonstration but this time to people between 12 and 17 years old.  Most had never watched ringing before or held a bird.  The ringing was part of Camp Avalon and took place at the Avalon Marshes Centre on the Somerset Levels. It was particularly great to see the ethnic minority inner city boys interested. 



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig giving a ringing demo at Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig giving a ringing demo at Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Ringing demo at Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Friday 26 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 26 - Today I took my Scout group to the Mendips to look for Nightjar.  It was amazing to watch the group so excited at just hearing a bird churring.


Most of my Scout group don't know anything about birds and so I think it is really important to try and get them interested.  


Scouts looking for Nightjar, Stockhill, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Tuesday 30 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 30 - Ringing Canada Geese

The 30 June was the last day of 30 Days Wild and I wanted to go out with something big. Maybe a rarity at Chew Valley Lake? 

Then it was fixed as the date arranged for corraling, catching and ringing the Canada Geese at Chew Valley Lake.  It was perfect for the last day of the month.

They used a boat to corrale the geese onto onto dry land, where they shut them into a fenced off area.  

Then people carried the goose under their arm, avoided letting it bite them, then held it whilst it was ringed. I managed to ring lots of geese, which was brilliant.  It was quite hard as the metal ring was big and made out of hard metal.


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig



About the Writer



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 



Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter












30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday in June 2015 - Week 5


30 Days wild - A Wildlife Trusts initiative for June 2015

Monday 29 June 2015



30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 29 - Painting a quick watercolour of an orchard before school. Inspired by artist John Gale to just have a go, so I did.


Orchard by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Tuesday 30 June 2015


30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 30 - Ringing Canada Geese

Today is the last day of #30DaysWild and I wanted to go out with something big. Maybe a rarity at Chew Valley Lake?  

Then I realised that today was the date arranged for corraling, catching and ringing the Canada Geese at Chew Valley Lake.  The Geese are flightless at the moment and so we only have a small window of about 10 days to do the ringing.

It was perfect for the last day of the month and fairly unplanned on my part.

They used a boat to corrale the geese onto one side of the lake and then onto dry land, where we shut them into a fenced off area.  

Then a couple of ringers picked up each bird, got them into the right holding position and gave them to people ready to take over.  The carriers then had to carry the goose under their arm, avoid letting it bite them, then hold it whilst I or another ringer ringed it.  After that they carry the goose to the people ready to weigh them before letting the geese go.

I managed to ring lots of geese, which was brilliant.  It was quite hard as the metal ring was big and made out of hard metal.


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig
Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig





Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Then a few days ago, I was chatting to Dad and realised that today was the date arranged for coralling, catching and ringing the Canada Geese at Chew Valley Lake.  The Geese are flightless at the moment and so we only have a small window of about 10 days to do the ringing.

It was perfect for the last day of the month and fairly unplanned on my part.

They used a boat to corale the geese onto one side of the lake and then onto dry land, when we shut them into a fenced off area.

Then very experienced ringers sex the geese, hold them and give them to you ready to take over.  I then have to carry the goose under my arm, avoid letting it bite me, then hold it whilst someone rings it.  After that you carry the goose to the people ready to weight them, give the identifying number, sex and them watch them weight the geese before releasing them.

It was a long evening and we arrived home physically exhausted from the whole thing.




About the Writer



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 



Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter




















30 Days Wild - Day 30 - 30 June 2015



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 30 - Ringing Canada Geese

Today is the last day of 30 Days Wild and I wanted to go out with something big. Maybe a rarity at Chew Valley Lake?  I had avoided just listing a different bird at the lake each day, as this would have been my normal behaviour and I wanted to be different.

Then a few days ago, I was chatting to Dad and realised that today was the date arranged for corraling, catching and ringing the Canada Geese at Chew Valley Lake.  The Geese are flightless at the moment and so we only have a small window of about 10 days to do the ringing.

It was perfect for the last day of the month and fairly unplanned on my part.

They used a boat to corrale the geese onto one side of the lake and then onto dry land, where we shut them into a fenced off area.  

Then a couple of ringers picked up each bird, got them into the right holding position and gave them to people ready to take over.  The carriers then had to carry the goose under their arm, avoid letting it bite them, then hold it whilst I or another ringer ringed it.  After that they carry the goose to the people ready to weigh them before letting the geese go.

I managed to ring lots of geese, which was brilliant.  It was quite hard as the metal ring was big and made out of hard metal.

It was great as three people from Bristol Nature Network, Jessica Tagney, Stephanie Hitchcock and Stu Payton, came and helped carry the geese.


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig
Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
With Stephanie Hitchcock
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig




Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
With Stephanie Hitchcock
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

About the Writer




Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 




Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter




















Camp Avalon - The review and planning for 8/9/10 July 2016


Camp Avalon - A camp for young birders and inner city teenagers



Young Birder birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig filling bird feeders for Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Wildlife sighted on Camp Avalon


As compiled by Thomas Weston - let me know if anything is missing


Young Birder birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig, Thomas Weston and Daniel Burrows, Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


Birds


1. Mute swan
2. Greylag Goose
3. Canada Goose
4. Pochard
5. Tufted Duck
6. Mallard
7. Gadwall
8. Shoveler
9. Moorhen
10. Coot
11. Little Grebe
12. Great Crested Grebe
13. Cormorant
14. Grey Heron
15. Great White Egret
16. Little Egret
17. Bittern
18. Sparrowhawk
19. Kestrel
20. Buzzard
21. Marsh Harrier
22. Hobby
23. Black-tailed Godwit
24. Lapwing
25. Black-headed Gull
26. Herring Gull
27. Lesser Black-backed Gull
28. Common Tern
29. Wood Pigeon
30. Kingfisher
31. Nightjar
32. Cuckoo
33. Swift
34. Swallow
35. House Martin
36. Great Spotted Woodpecker
37. Pied Wagtail
38. Robin
39. Blackbird
40. Song Thrush
41. Dunnock
42. Great Tit 
43. Blue Tit
44. Long tailed Tit
45. Bearded Tit
46. Blackcap
47. Chiffchaff
48. Reed Warbler
49. Cetti’s Warbler
50. Whitethroat
51. Wren
52. Greenfinch
53. Chaffinch
54. Goldfinch
55. Magpie
56. Carrion Crow
57. Jackdaw
58. Starling
59. House sparrow
60. Linnet
61. Bull Finch
62. Reed Bunting

Other species

• Black-tailed Skimmer
• Four-spotted Chaser
• Emperor Dragonfly
• Blue-tailed Damselfly
• Common Blue Damselfly
• Small Tortoiseshell
• Red Admiral
• Speckled Wood
• Small White
• Large White
• Meadow Brown
• Common Blue
• Roe Deer
• Marsh Frog
• Hornet
• Tree Bee
• Badger


Camp Avalon - 8/9/10 July 2016


We learnt a lot from Camp Avalon 2015 that will make 2016 better and easier for the organisers.


Chris Craig, Young Birder birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig, Mike Bailey from CVRS, Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig


We realised that we need the following help:


Experienced people to put up and take down the tents;
Help ferrying inner city young people and a parent between Bristol and the camp site and then between sites;
Two people to cook and wash up;
People with experience of working with inner city/ethnic minority teenagers, as without that experience it was hard to fully engage them;
People to help throughout the sessions (hopefully a few NGB) and will need to ensure that they are CRB checked;

For 2016 we need to: 
Raise money to provide grants to lower income young people and to pay expenses to people who come to help;
Try and get donations of tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses and loans of cameras.

If you can help in any way, please get in touch campavalonuk@gmail.com.


About the Writer



Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly
Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 



Mya-Rose Craig is a 12 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter