#30 Days Wild

Welcome to #30 Days Wild 2015

Through out the month of June I will be taking part in the Wildlife Trust's initiative to get out and about in the wild. I shall be trying to make an extra effort to get close to nature and spend time focusing on the little things around me.

Why don't you come along on board and see what I get up to!

Day 1- So this is summer!

I was expecting a bright sunny day, being June. But how wrong I was.I had everything planned to start off my month with a walk on the wild side, but the British Summer weather soon put a stop to that. Instead I had to focus on more relevant pursuits, something that would bring the great outdoors, indoors.

So I marched purposefully through the wind and the rain to the bookshop and the library, in order to fill the gap in my planner and have a go at my first attempt at a 'Random act of wildness'.

I'd read a review in this month's edition of 'Coast' magazine of a book that sounded very interesting and perfect for this challenge. 'Meadowland' by John Lewis-Stempel.
It looks a fascinating read and a great start to my 30 days wild.

I also hunted out a great anthology in the poetry section of the library- The Bedside book of Birds by Greame Gibson.

It has some great extracts, short stories and poetry

And the illustrations are beautiful

 There's a companion book of Beasts too- I may have to try that one as well!

Hope you've had a great day.

Day 2- Through my window

I was determined that today was going to be an outdoor experience, but alas the forecast wasn't that great. I had planned to walk along the shore next to the school where I work, unfortunately by the time school had finished, the heavens had opened and it was blowing a gale yet again.

I must have known that things were not looking too hopeful as this morning I decided on a contingency plan. Plan B was to observe the changing tide and weather throughout the day.

So armed with my camera and an early morning cup of coffee, I stood at the staff room window and snapped away. 

7:50am- A bright start to the morning and the tide was out.

I'm very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world and my new workplace is on the shoreline of the Solway Firth. It never ceases to amaze me how fast the tide changes, and with it, so does the weather.

10am

By mid morning and the full tide, the weather changed to grey and murky.

By lunchtime the tide was on its way out again 

12.30

 By 3 oclock the sands were clearly visible, but the clouds remained heavy

 3pm

and by six o'clock the tide was definitely out..and it was still raining!

 6pm 

I finally managed to get down to the shore, but the wind and rain got the better of me.

 I'm not sure if it shows in these photos, but it was throwing it down!

I certainly wasn't equipped for the bad weather and therefore had to cut my losses and call it a day.

Hopefully during this month I will get down to the shore on a bright day and see what I can find.

Lets see what tomorrow brings

Amanda x

Day 3- A wildflower walk on a Wednesday

Well, today actually felt like summer might just be around the corner. We had sunshine and a light breeze. Perfect for getting out on a walk and even better, I don't work Wednesday afternoons, which meant that I had some time to get out along the hedgerows. 

I'm pretty useless when it comes to identifying wildflowers, so I thought I should become a little better acquainted with the flowers in the hedgerow and verges where I live.

Some I know, some I don't. but what I do know, is that luckily, they are growing in abundance and it was such a lovely sight to see.

x

Day 4- Sitting and listening

Today I just sat!. I sat in the sunshine, in the garden, beside the conservatory and just sat back and listened.

The sky was brilliant blue over head and the sun was warm.

I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds around me.

Man made sounds, natural sounds and birdsong all had their place.

In the short time I was there I heard:

bees humming

flies buzzing

breeze swishing 

the creak and tap of the building as it warmed up

the caw of crows

cries of gulls

twittering of blackbirds, swallows and sparrows

the shreak of a young heron as it was chased by a crow

the beating of wings as a group (Parliament, building or clamour?) of rooks flew over

the distant hum of the cars on the main road

and the whirring of a lawn mower

At one point a plane droned overhead

and a sparrow and a blue tit flew so close to my head i could hear the beat of their wings.

chattering and clicking of woodpeckers and other garden birds

and the crowing call of a pheasant.

Sometimes it's nice to take the time just to stay still:)

Amanda x

Day 5- Gone Fishing

My first time angling, well I actually wasn't angling, but I was watching...but it was fun and certainly a new experience for me.

 

"Let's go fishing", he said brightly,

Me, sat on the river bank,

Him, thigh deep in the water,

Casting repeatedly, until the line tightens

My head engrossed in a novel,

Not seeing the fishing drama unfold

A large Brown Trout now gone.

"It was this big" he said,

I said, "Shame I missed it",

But there's always a next time!

Day 6- Dinner Al Fresco

No photos for today I'm afraid. Had the camera at the ready and then realised there was no SD card in it-Fool that I am! So we have no record apart from memories of what went on today. This is all a bit of a shame really, as I'd had a fab fun day out in the garden at a birthday celebration, We had food, we had a barbecue and lots of playing outside in the sunny, but very breezy day.

Day 7 - Watching the Birdies 

Another day with very little photographic evidence, but still a good day nonetheless.
I'm not sure what the protocol is for feeding birds throughout the spring and summer, but this year we've continued to do so. Partially because the weather has been so poor and partially because we have a lot of new visitors to our garden this year. Namely some Pied Woodpeckers. He's there, hidden behind the nut bird feeder, tucking away at a fat ball.
We seem to have a pair of them, if not two pairs, nearby, as they frequent our feeders often during the day. We've discovered they are partial to
Cheese and anything fatty. They seem to scrape off any butter or margarine that is around, on piece of bread for instance, flying off with their beaks covered in the stuff.
I thoroughly enjoy watching the birds and even though today isn't a new random act of wildness, I have made more of an effort to take notice.
We've also bought some new bird boxes for future seasons and we've been dabbling about with trying different types of food for them.
long may the bird watching continue. 

Hope you've had a good day.

Amanda x

Unfortunately this was as far as I got! This may be better in 2016!