Week 33: RSPB Brighton Group - Urban Birder Talk

House Sparrow, a bird of urban areas.

A great talk from David Lindo the @Urbanbirder at the Brighton RSPB local group meeting.

Birds are all around us and just because you live in a town or city doesn't mean you can't watch birds.  The popularity of the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch shows how many birds you can see in your own garden.

Birds see our green and brown spaces and abandoned buildings as habitat, where they can rest and refuel while on migration, feed and even nest and breed.

David has travelled around the world and in all the urban areas he's visited he manages to find surprising birds in the most unusual places.

The majority of people are totally oblivious to the wildlife right on their doorstep.

#Look Up

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Week 32: Volunteering - Sussex Wildlife

First session of the year and out with the Lewes Sussex Wildlife Trust volunteers up on Malling Down.  Still got the tail-end of my New Year cough - better but still not completely gone.

A light drizzle when we started, so the fire was a little slow to get going but roaring away by lunchtime and we managed to burn everything that had been cut previously.

There are plenty of opportunities for volunteering with the Wildlife Trust if you like getting out and about outdoors.

Week 31: Bike ride!

First bike ride of the year and first one in a while.

Plenty of sunshine but also pretty cold and windy after the recent gales.  As I was still suffering with a cough I picked up either in Italy (probably) I took a short cycle along the undercliff and back.  Easy going one way, hard work against the wind the other.

Week 30: New Year's Eve

Like many others I'm usually tucked up in bed well before midnight or at least at home on New Year's Eve but as that doesn't really go with the spirit of #52Things and as I missed out entirely last New Year, time to make an effort.

Not exactly an 'Extravaganza' but certainly something different (and that's what #52Things is all about).  Lovely friends, great atmosphere, good music from local musicians, some 'interesting' modern poetry - not really my thing but some of it was quite amusing - and belly-dancing!

All leading up to the chimes of Big Ben and the start of 2015.

Week 29: Swim in the sea

Well, this isn't something I even considered I'd be doing at this time of year but while on holiday in Italy it started with a paddle, then after a little thought and consideration (mainly around swimming/clothing options) I took a swim in the Mediterranean on Boxing Day - along with three others!

We rapidly attracted a crowd of bemused and amused locals and tourists, who despite the cold had suddenly found the foreshore 'the place to be' in Positano.

A prosecco to celebrate - although a hot chocolate would have been more warming.