Currently drowning in Assignments ...

My first christmas as a university student has found me buried beneath two assignments, an exam and an assessed presentation in January. So having decided to stay on campus a little longer to get ahead on all the reading I need to do, it all got a little overwhelming. To clear my head, I set an early alarm on Saturday and was up and out just as the sun was rising. (one of the perks of winter daylight times - I don't have to get up so early to see the sunrise!) It wasn't too cold thankfully, but was beautifully quiet. I had a gander across the racecourse in Worcester, which led me to a small park. I have been trying to find the right settings on my camera for landscape photography, but I am still disappointed, I feel they don't have the depth of detail I'm wanting. I have followed the manual settings guidelines for landscapes, so perhaps it is the lens that I use perhaps. But anyway, here are the photos I managed to capture ... anything to get put off all the work I have!

I am going home this week, so will hopefully be able to get out to my favourite country park and bird hide, which I am very much looking forward to, so there will be at least one more post on here before christmas day! (But you can always stay updated on my twitter account! @thegeogstudent )

A Muddy Morning Walk

What' this, two posts in two days!? I must be ill!

I have a bit of spare time this evening between my studying to type up a quick post. This morning I joined my University Nature Society for a walk along the river. For some reason I didn't give any thought on the amount of mud there would be, rookie error!

Nevertheless it was a beautiful walk, and a new route to take that is nice and local! (Hurrah!) A few new sightings for me personally too, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and the teeny Goldcrest! There were also plenty of Great Tits, Blue Tits and Long Tailed Tits! Although photographing was difficult with the sheer amount of naked branches competing within the photos! (thanks winter!) But of course, I am not one to be beaten yet!

Here is what I did manage to get:

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Long Tailed Tit

I promise this is a Goldcrest!! 

Another Long Tailed Tit

The Art of Birdwatching

Now, this is not something you are born with, but is something to be gained through sheer guts and determination. For only the truly strong will survive into professionalism.

But all jokes aside, birdwatching most definately isn't for everyone, and takes a good deal of practice, but often with unmistakable benefits. I remember the first time I sat in a bird hide, cold, confused and simply impatient. And of course I wasn't going to see anything, mostly because I simply didn't want it enough, and because nature takes time. It's really as simple as that!

My top 3 tips for birdwatching:
1. Wrap up warm (Obviously) Often times I have been sat on a cold morning much longer than I initially anticipated too, after all, some days can just be really good like that!
2. Invest in a decent thermos flask! Much related to the previous point, it really is important to make yourself comfortable whilst you're waiting about.
3. And while you're waiting, get used to the scenery. In my case I spend this time setting up my camera settings, trying out settings in order to get the best shot when the opportunity arises. There really is nothing worse than not being camera ready when a beautiful bird finally decides to grace you with it's presence.

Now, about a fortnight ago (can you tell I've been super busy with first university assignments) I had the opportunity to go back to the Severn Valley Country Park, so sat in the bird hide for almost 2 hours in the morning. At first there was nothing, but the key here is to be stubborn and wait it out a bit longer. And I am yet to be disappointed. Like buses, many came at once. Groups of Great Tits, Blue Tits, a pair of Pheasants, A shy Heron and an inquisitive Robin. And perhaps, if my ID is correct a little Dunnock. (which is a first for me I believe)

I would ID this little fellow as a Dunnock, any other suggestions? 

Fairground and Fireworks

Not exactly nature related, (okay so not at all, but it's my blog guys!) As you all may know last night was bonfire night, and my first here in Worcester! The Racecourse held the biggest one this year, and seeing as it was a five minute walk away, it'd be rude not to go. I was really pleased with how my camera worked, and had a lot of fun with the exposure settings too!

Next week I hope to have some amazing pictures, as I am going back home and having a day at the Severn Valley Country Park again, and I'm already really excited! (I really really hope the Kingfisher is there again!)

Anyways, I should really get back to my assignment now, I'm only posting this small update because I'm procrastinating, haha oops!

The Grey Squirrel

This afternoon, whilst I was trying to be a good student (yaknow, studying hard and knuckling down over the weekend) a resident Grey Squirrel on my university campus decided to come nice and close to my window. I watched for a while, managing to take some pretty nice pictures, and watched as it bounced off in search of more food.

It was a lovely 10 minutes, and it conveniently gave me a short break from my studies. (Thanks Squirrel!)

 But then it got me thinking, this species is often seen merely as an alien, a pest on campus and an all round threat to be dealt with.

Now, I completely understand that alien species that are brought into the UK were done so with positive expectations, and as we can see now has had more of an invasive and destructive effect on our local habits.  But what happens when the above effects occur? We hunt them down. Now I am writing this from a completely humanist approach here, and I understand that for others pests are pests and must be dealt with accordingly.

And yet, I still found the time to sit and just appreciate the presence of this timid creature. Sure, as a species he doesn't quite understand the manners we have here, he may be the leading cause of the decline of our native Red Squirrels, or the destruction of our natural habitats. But the way I see it, we are the ones that brought the species onto our shores, and surely the responsibility of that should rest on our shoulders. I'm still not sure where I stand on the slaughter of wildlife for the sake of conservation.

On a more lighthearted note, enjoy some pictures of a campus Squirrel looking for lunch:

Forest of Dean and Update!

I cannot believe its been a whole two weeks since I last posted! Time is literally flying by!

So, What has happened?
- University life is well under way. freshers week already feels like a distant memory as looming Assignment dates are added to the diary!
- I have FINALLY purchased myself a proper camera! It's the Canon EOS 100D, and I'm so in love with it it's embarrassing hahahaha. (I've waited so so long to be able to buy it!) So fingers crossed I'll be able to get some really good pictures with it for the blog!
- I am really enjoying living in the city of Worcester, I can't quite get enough of the beautiful riverside walks! See below:

Taken this morning on my new camera, lots to learn with it still of course!

Last sunday I joined the Universities Nature Society to the Forest of Dean for the day, I already love the opportunities that come about as a university student! The forest walks were beautiful in every way, with a huge array of birds, bugs and boars! (Although we didn't actually see any Boars :( )

I will be attempting to provide some decent blog material soon, rather just pictures! (Although you have to admit, they are pretty good ones!)

Ta-ra for now!
Tayla

University Societies

On wednesday we had our University Sports and Society Fair, which was pretty much a hall packed with groups of people promoting their sport/hobby, trying to get you to join. Well naturally I signed up to the Geography Society, and the Nature Society.

On thursday evening I joined the Nature Society on a night safari around the campus, we detected bats, spied on badgers and trapped moths!

I learnt how to detect the difference between the common and the Suprano Pipistrelle Bat based purely on frequencies (Pretty snazzy if you ask me!)

The Moths we spotted that evening were:

• Lunar Underwing
• Angle Shades
• Light Emerald Moth 

Two Light Emerald Moths

University Societies

On wednesday we had our University Sports and Society Fair, which was pretty much a hall packed with groups of people promoting their sport/hobby, trying to get you to join. Well naturally I signed up to the Geography Society, and the Nature Society.

On thursday evening I joined the Nature Society on a night safari around the campus, we detected bats, spied on badgers and trapped moths!

I learnt how to detect the difference between the common and the Suprano Pipistrelle Bat based purely on frequencies (Pretty snazzy if you ask me!)

The Moths we spotted that evening were:

• Lunar Underwing
• Angle Shades
• Light Emerald Moth 

Two Light Emerald Moths

"Change is the Only Constant in Life"

Like the turning of the leaves and the encroachment of the bitter frost, change is constant. But don't worry too much guys, the sun is still out and it is another beautiful day.

But right now for me life is just a big sudden change. yesterday afternoon I arrived at the University of Worcester to begin my new life as a residential student doing a Geography degree. I am unpacked and somewhat settled in my new humble abode, with introductory talks and lectures beginning tomorrow.

I am hoping this new direction in life that my blog will begin to adapt and change too. I am planning on a blog overhaul, with a change of name and a change of design. I want to blog about what university life is really like, and what Geographers really go through and what concepts and problems we are faced with.

I best be off now, I have my first freshers social event to get ready for! Making friends can't be that hard right?

Review: Trespass Compact Pillow and Lightweight Sleeping Bag

I've had these two items sat to review on my 'to-do' list for some time now, and I'm only just finding the time to sit and do it, so my apologies for that! But then I doubt you are hardly surprised seeing as this blog hasn't been updated in what feels like months, but hopefully in a week or so I will be able to show you why!

Right, anyway back to what this post is supposed to be about! This summer I went on my annual camping trip to Scotland, this year three nights, four days on a campsite in North Berwick, just outside of Edinburgh. Unlike past years this trip was more like glamping, or at least by my standards! Just picture this, a tent tall enough to actually stand up in, foldable camp beds and actual table and chairs, honestly I was practically living it grand on a Miami beach! (har har)

I did however finally get chance to try out some new goodies I'd brought in a Trespass Closing down sale. Now for anyone who isn't familiar with the Trespass brand, I personally would say its a rather 'budget' brand, or at least I have found their quality to be less superior than other competitive brands about in the market, but heck, they're certainly a good starting point!

I managed to bag myself a compact travel pillow and a super lightweight sleeping bag. Two items that I was desperately seeking. I cannot stand the tiny blow up pillows that are about, and I has been looking at the Thermarest Compression Pillows, so thought I would try this one as a budget option before committing. The pillow is about 30cm in length, and expands to about 10cm thick. It can be rolled up pretty small, provided you're willing to put in the effort to really flatten the entire thing.So how was the sleep you're asking? It was pretty good! Maybe for myself and how I sleep perhaps a little bit too small, but then you're camping, you choose your luxuries right? But for me definately a worthwhile addition to my kit!

Now the second item I got really excited about, and was a purchase of about £25, reduced from £59.99 and took much deliberation on whether or not to buy.  The deciding factors? It was the only one left on the shelf, the crazy price reduction and most importantly, its size and weight! This ultra light sleeping packs down to almost a third of the size of my current sleeping bag, and felt like it weighed next to nothing! My current sleeping bag was a Gelert 3 season bag, suitable for temperatures down to -5 degrees. But for my I couldn't stand it, the zip was not strong enough to keep zipped when I tossed in the night, and its pack away size and weight was laughable. So to find this new sleeping bag got me pretty excited to say the least! The recommended temperature zone is only to about 15 degrees, which seems pretty disappointing (and was a factor that made me almost not buy it) but to be honest it's not often I have a problem with being frozen at night, and there's always clothes for an extra layer ya'know. Because the sleeping bag is a thinner and lighter material it feels a lot more comfortable in it, I can turn in the night without the zip undoing, and it's not quite as restricting if its get twisted during the night. (we've all had that problem haven't we? oh , just me then?) I didn't find any problems that a hoodie couldn't fix, and its packaway size completely outweighs that.

Here are the links to the items in case you fancy giving them a go:

http://www.trespass.com/stuffy-kids-sleeping-bag (okay so apparently the sleeping bag is a kids one!? I literally had no idea, but heck this is a steal!!!)

http://www.trespass.com/sleepyhead-travel-pillow

Review: Trespass Compact Pillow and Lightweight Sleeping Bag

I've had these two items sat to review on my 'to-do' list for some time now, and I'm only just finding the time to sit and do it, so my apologies for that! But then I doubt you are hardly surprised seeing as this blog hasn't been updated in what feels like months, but hopefully in a week or so I will be able to show you why!

Right, anyway back to what this post is supposed to be about! This summer I went on my annual camping trip to Scotland, this year three nights, four days on a campsite in North Berwick, just outside of Edinburgh. Unlike past years this trip was more like glamping, or at least by my standards! Just picture this, a tent tall enough to actually stand up in, foldable camp beds and actual table and chairs, honestly I was practically living it grand on a Miami beach! (har har)

I did however finally get chance to try out some new goodies I'd brought in a Trespass Closing down sale. Now for anyone who isn't familiar with the Trespass brand, I personally would say its a rather 'budget' brand, or at least I have found their quality to be less superior than other competitive brands about in the market, but heck, they're certainly a good starting point!

I managed to bag myself a compact travel pillow and a super lightweight sleeping bag. Two items that I was desperately seeking. I cannot stand the tiny blow up pillows that are about, and I has been looking at the Thermarest Compression Pillows, so thought I would try this one as a budget option before committing. The pillow is about 30cm in length, and expands to about 10cm thick. It can be rolled up pretty small, provided you're willing to put in the effort to really flatten the entire thing.So how was the sleep you're asking? It was pretty good! Maybe for myself and how I sleep perhaps a little bit too small, but then you're camping, you choose your luxuries right? But for me definately a worthwhile addition to my kit!

Now the second item I got really excited about, and was a purchase of about £25, reduced from £59.99 and took much deliberation on whether or not to buy.  The deciding factors? It was the only one left on the shelf, the crazy price reduction and most importantly, its size and weight! This ultra light sleeping packs down to almost a third of the size of my current sleeping bag, and felt like it weighed next to nothing! My current sleeping bag was a Gelert 3 season bag, suitable for temperatures down to -5 degrees. But for my I couldn't stand it, the zip was not strong enough to keep zipped when I tossed in the night, and its pack away size and weight was laughable. So to find this new sleeping bag got me pretty excited to say the least! The recommended temperature zone is only to about 15 degrees, which seems pretty disappointing (and was a factor that made me almost not buy it) but to be honest it's not often I have a problem with being frozen at night, and there's always clothes for an extra layer ya'know. Because the sleeping bag is a thinner and lighter material it feels a lot more comfortable in it, I can turn in the night without the zip undoing, and it's not quite as restricting if its get twisted during the night. (we've all had that problem haven't we? oh , just me then?) I didn't find any problems that a hoodie couldn't fix, and its packaway size completely outweighs that.

Here are the links to the items in case you fancy giving them a go:

http://www.trespass.com/stuffy-kids-sleeping-bag (okay so apparently the sleeping bag is a kids one!? I literally had no idea, but heck this is a steal!!!)

http://www.trespass.com/sleepyhead-travel-pillow

Right so where have I been and what have I been doing you ask? (I mean, you're probably not, you've probably just assumed this silence meant I was DEAD, ((Really don't blame you to be honest hahaha))

First things first, blogging daily for the #30DaysWild Challenge absolutely burnt me out, it left me no desire to blog any time soon, which really sucks!

However, because it is the summer, I have also been working most of the time, so I haven't had the chance to get out and about and do anything exciting at all!

But I have got a few pictures from a week away in North Berwick, Scotland.

#30DaysWild Fin!

Okay, I know that technically it all finishes tomorrow, but tomorrow I will hopefully be too full from curry and too tipsy to be blogging! So I am finishing this challenge off today!

I haven't been doing too well the past week or so, for personal reasons, but for the most part, I have kept up to date! So here is my big old recap!

1. Watched Springwatch!
2. Had breakfast outside 
3. Educated myself on the Goosander
4. Got tweeted my the @30DaysWild account! Thanks for wishing me to get better!)
5. Spotted 2 kingfishers hunting along the river 
6. Attempted to make a vlog  - and failed terribly! 
7. Made some ink drawings of some common leaves 
8. Went for a run in the wild 
9. Spotted a female Goosander with her chicks!
10. Wandered around a nature inspired art gallery
11.  Spent the day at Severn Valley Country Park - Identified a lot of species! 
12. Appreciated the beauty of my Sweet Pea plant growing 
13. Watched as the heavens opened 
14. Spotted a beautiful Buff Tip Moth 
15. Got tweeted by Chris Packham himself! 
16. Took a walk along the flooded river 
17. Researched the effects of hiking on our wellbeing 
18. Wrote a wild poem 
19. Did some nature inspired art journaling 
20. Learnt about urban wildlife 
21. Helped at a beautiful outdoor wedding 
22. Found the rainbow! 
23. Made a weather chart for the month 

Urban Wildlife

For the #30DaysWild Challenge I appointed my urban dwelling cousin to rise to the challenge, and this is what she had to say!

"At the end of May I was talking to my sister in law about 30 Days Wild, and she said something along the lines of, 'How could you even do that here?' (We live in a city, in the middle of the country). I immediately pointed out the strategically planted trees as we walked through the city centre, and looked to the sky for birds.

But it brought up a good point - how can we get in touch with our wild side, get in touch with nature, in the middle of a city? It's all too easy, especially for is city folk, to get caught up in the world of concrete, cars and capitalism.

So I have written up a list of 4 of my favourite 'wild' things about my city. There were a lot more when I sat down and actually thought about it, but I've manage to trim it down. I'd advise you all, no matter where you live, to take stock of your home town and see past the industrialisation.

4. Although it may not seem like much, I saw a fox once. In an area where there's no wood or forest, or anything like that. On my walk home, just off the main road. I saw a fox crossing the road. Such a surprising sight, it was the last thing I expected to see, but there it was. I hope it got home okay. (Also, my nan used to feed the foxes by her old house, although she lived close to a wooded area!)

3. There's a country park just a couple of miles outside of the city centre. It consists of 500 acres, a lake, woodland, gardens, areas of conservation and much more. Click here to see their webpage!

2. The view from my bedroom window. we don't do much gardening in our household (something I hope to change when I have my own place!) So whatever is here if leftover from whoever planted the garden, but I love watching it. We have a tree that that neighbourhood cats used to take shelter from the rain, we have flowerbeds that die in the winter and then bloom in the spring.There are Bees and Butterflies, Ants and Spiders. And these past few months I have been kept awake in the mornings by a particularly annoying bird! But it's out there - City Wilderness that is.

1. Swanswell Park. This was one of my favourites places as a child. It's not exactly a great area, but it simply a few minutes walk from the city centre. But it has a small lake with an island, and it is home to Geese and Swans. As a child I remember watching the Swans attend to their nests on the Island. It's incredible to see such wild nature so close, so close to bus stations and shopping centres.

I realise that most cities are different, and not all make an effort to have such areas as these, but go and explore yours, see what is has to offer, and heck, go wild! "






Written by Amy Elson,
Urban dweller and Forensic & Biology Graduate

#30DaysWild Day Day 16-18

Well, so what have I been up to? Apart from lots and lots of hours at work, I have been trying to fit in some small acts of Wildness every day, although some are very small!

On Day 16 I have a total fangirl moment as Chris Packham tweeted me back about the severe lack of graphs on this seasons Springwatch! (anyone else agree with me here - well he did at least!)

Day 17 I took a walk along the wild rising river in Bewdley, after about 6 days of almost constant heavy rain, the river is a murky brown and flowing swiftly, but it is still a joy to watch the bird hunting.

And today - I have made a crack at writing a wild poem! (now, please don't laugh, I probably haven't written a decent poem in about 5 years or so!) but here goes ...

Leaves softly waving in the wind,
Gusts small, but so big from down here,
But life this tiny learn to be thick skinned,
So that we grow, buds to peek and peer.

The sun, so gentle and warming,
I stretch, I unfurl, I grow,
Photosynthesising,
Turning me head to the sky, petals so yellow.

I bask and I breathe, filling my cells with life,
A radiance so full, yes so minute,
I am one of many, and we are the wildlife,
A presence so strong you cannot dilute.


Poet of the year material right? Thought so hahaha!

Oh- and I've also been watching Emma Caton Vlogs over at (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Ry14Y1FAnTlWmPLLrv2hQ) and I have been loving them! So if you haven't already, you should really go check out her videos and give her some love!

That's all for now folks!
Tayla

#30Days Wild Day 15!

I cannot believe we are now halfway through the #30DaysWild Challenge already!! So many more exciting things to do and see!

An absolutely sodden day tonight! It just about managed to dry up and brighten in time for me to head home for work - and just as I was packing away the outdoor cafe furniture, I spotted this little guy drying off on the windowsill! I calmy had to run into the shop to grab my phone to get a photo!

Now for anyone who doesn't know, this little guy is a Buff Tip Moth! He stands out a lot on our beautiful teal paintwork, but he is designed to camouflage as a Silver Birch twig. I'd known about these moths, but this is the first I have seen with my very own eyes, and of course I was embarrassingly excited about it. (Making sure to message my best friend about it all as quick as I could!)

So, I've made it a job that any species I spot I'm going to learn me some facts!

1. Their Italian name is Phalera bucephala (Okay so I'm probably not going to remember that)
2. They are a common species, often found in farmland, grassland, towns and gardens and woodland
3. You are likely to see them in June and July (mostly at evening or night!) 

I also went for a quick walk this evening after dinner, I didn't manage to escape the rain this time! But I did spot a wagtail of some sorts! It was either a yellow or a grey wagtail, oh I cannot wait to buy myself a camera that will do these beautiful species some justice! (only another £492.78 to go!) 

What wild things have you been up to? 

Tayla 

x

#30DaysWild Day 11!

Ophrys apifera - Bee Orchid

So today I visited somewhere pretty special to me, I like to think it's the place that made me fall in love with nature.

Severn Valley Country Park, Alveley (See their website here) is a 126 acre park that has been regenerated from abandoned coal spills to a beautiful park. budding with life every single which way you look. I was a frequent weekly volunteer on the park for over 18 months, working alongside the Park Rangers and the truly valiant group of volunteers who truly keep the park going. And it's pretty safe to say I enjoyed every minute of it (okay, except that day of pulling ragwort on a cold and drizzly day, yep totally didn't enjoy that bit so much ... )

There had been a few new caches put about the park and surrounding area, so for my day off I go up early and got the bus back to my home village. (It's so weird how everything always seems so much smaller than you remember!) In total I wandered around the park, and its many trails and habitats, for about six hours. After a major Geocaching App malfunction (thanks to a souvenier day!) I only managed to find 3 caches :( Some of them were pretty tricky, so I will have to come back and find them!

But no doubt, today was all about the wildlife, as always some of the photo quality is pretty poor, but at the moment there really isn't much I can do about it! The park's natural wild meadow is coming along nicely, with a few years of maturity behind it now, where the Bee Orchid and the Common Spotted Orchids are standing proudly.

Dactylorhiza fuchsii - Common Spotted Orchid

I then went to have a look at the newly refurbished Easy Access Pool, having helped inlay the new wooden sidewalk panels myself. and to see it had now been finished off with a new tarmac surface was brilliant! I sat and watched a moorhen happily collect materials for its nest (I wasn't about to catch a glimpse without risk of being in the pond myself!) I then carried onto the bird hide, a place where I hadn't really had loads of luck, but as I unlatched the shutter, there perched proudly was a vibrant Kingfisher (A bit like buses you see, you wait ages for one and then they all turn up!) I watched it for almost an hour, as it fished for its lunch.

Alcedines - Kingfisher

Gallinula - Moorhen

Possibly a Common Blue Butterfly? 

As I was leaving the park I was instructed my other volunteers to check out the Kestrel nest, which of course I did. Now no photos I'm afraid, there was no way my puny iPhone was going to manage a distance of over 100 meters! (I mean my binoculars only really managed to show me just enough to keep my excited!)

Inside the next was three fluffy chicks, with their proud Momma just standing outside, it really was a sight to see, and its really topped off an already amazing day!

Here's to the next adventure!