Summer at Pennington

It's only been a couple of weeks since my last visit, but this South Coast birding mega spot was very different today! The winter visitors, all bar a couple of Brent Geese have gone back to their summer grounds and the hedgerows are alive with our own Summer migrants. In fact the first bird I saw as I got out of the car was a newly arrived Swift fly over my head as it had just come in off the sea. My first one of the year and pleasingly just inside April.

Yesterday I received a new toy. I have treated myself to a new lens for my camera. A Sigma 150 - 600mm zoom lens and after a very satisfying lap of my lakes yesterday I decided it needed a proper test down by the sea. The weather looked good and my sunburned head proves that the weathermen didn't lie.

On my last visit to the area, I felt that I hadn't given it enough time between visits. A little disappointing, stupidly, as I had managed to bag the Spoonbill and Long Tailed Duck that time.
Today made up for any false sense of disappointment. I'd go as far as saying it was one of my best days out with the camera in quite a while.

Walking across Pennington to get to the sea wall and there were many Whitethroat here (and everywhere else today).

Two of the sleepy Spoonbill were still in the area, sleeping mostly..

And a good number of Little Terns and a few Common flying over my head, and successfully fishing the lagoon. I had fun playing with the camera trying to snap them, but generally they were facing the wrong way.

A stonking Black Tailed Godwit was at the side of Fishtail, Not bothered by the crowd snapping it, just bumbling around eating worms.

I made my way to the end of Keyhaven, hoping to see the pair of Dartford Warblers I saw last time. No luck today, but a Stonechat and a few Linnet obliged. I believe I saw a Whinchat, but couldn't get a picture, and a few other birders pretty much told me I hadn't.

Then a shout of 'Osprey'!!
True enough, pretty high up, but an Osprey was circling briefly before heading out to sea.
The new lens proved a very good investment and I have to say I'm chuffed to bits with these!

Back to Pennington and a few Little Egret snaps and Whimbrel next to the sea defenses.

A few shots of The Needles, the big boats going in to Southampton and the Coast Guards on a training drill.

Three hours went very quickly. Walking back to the car I spotted another Whinchat and managed to get a snap of this one.  From distance, lit mostly by the smile my new lens had given me.
A bloody good morning's walk.

Bowdown Bluebells.

Unintentional, but possibly quite fitting that after using my blog to explain my redundancy situation and next move, that the first post after is solely about my new 'office'.

As a Neighbourhood Warden we have been checking Bowdown Woods in Greenham for a long time. Our area of focus is more on the car parking areas and connecting lanes but we do go in to the woods from time to time, normally on a foot patrol from one car park to the other but we do lead our Walk for Health group in there once a year.
The reason for that visit is the stunning bluebells.

Greenham Parish is an amazing place for Bluebells. Bowdown, West Wood (south of the main Greenham estate) and the bottom of Audrey's Meadow have to be the best locations I know for the  Spring flowers. The woodland floors are blue carpets and the smell is high up in my all time Top 5!
The bluebells seem a bit late this year, surprising considering the mild winter, and sunny days have been a bit rare, but today myself and my colleague Jim had a stroll with cameras around the woods and took a few snaps.

BBOWT (Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust) manage Bowdown Woods and as a Conservation Trainee, based at their depot on Greenham Common (next door) I imagine there will be quite a bit of time spent in Bowdown. Bring it on!

I daren't tell you about some of the stuff we have found in the past in the parking laybys etc. as wardens, cos even I struggle to believe it some time..

On to 'grazing' pastures new..

Hey.

If you've found this page, it's probably because I've asked you to read it from my facebook or twitter page. So thank you for stopping by.

As most of you will know, the redundancy ship called in at the Neighbourhood Warden port and sadly we were put on Redundancy notice a week or two ago. (The last month+ has been a bit of a blur).
Negotiations are believed to still be on going between some of our excellent funders, but the clock is ticking and the chance of saving the scheme is looking very slim. (that I know of). This despite overwhelming and very humbling support from resident, Councillors and other Partner Agencies.
We have all been told to seek other employment if we can.

It's been a tough time, since the last week of Feb when we were told the host organisation was pulling out.
We were (are) good. Good workers, good PR for our employers, (in an industry where they don't get very much), good for the communities, but most of all, it was good for me! I loved the job and the freedom it gave, the reputation we had worked so hard to build and then sustain, the partner agencies we worked with... I could go on for a while!
But many more important jobs before us have been cut and we do consider ourselves lucky to get this far in a world with no money.
At first we believed a rescue package would be found, (maybe it still will). In cycling a manager is often told that the sponsor is pulling out and he must find a new one.  Riders stay loyal and hope something can be found for the next season.
In our situation, the management is pulling out, leaving the sponsor and riders to find their own way. Us 'riders' are very grateful to the sponsors (Councils) and out of loyalty and want, you cant walk away from people who are fighting so hard for your services. It's been a headf*ck to say the least.

Personally I've been looking around, halfheartedly at job sites. This is only my third job! The previous two have been in the leisure industry. What the hell next?
I had an interview at Andover Leisure Centre but the pay was a lot less than certainly I felt it deserved. Seems there isn't much money in the leisure industry any more.
Ultimately I thought I'd try and hang on to the end of the scheme, take the Summer off to watch Le Tour and help with child care in the Summer Holidays, then actively 'job hunt' for something in the Autumn.

Rach, my other half, suggested I took the time to retrain. But what?

Myself and my colleague Jim in the past have discussed what we'd do if the job folded. We have felt we have been close a couple of times in recent years. Chats like that make you think about what you enjoy about the job and many times in recent years I have said 'maybe something in conservation'?

Working in such a green area, me and Jim love to get out in the countryside, spotting Red Kite or Badger etc. And then there has been all the conservation projects we've been lucky enough to get involved with - in work time.  Things like The Renewal Project  on the River Lambourn, or helping the local Ornithologists clear islands at Lower Farm Gravel Pits, for waders to nest on.
Basically any excuse to don the waders or cut and burn stuff.
Just last week we cleared a blocked 'badger run' in Bagnor, found by patrolling 'off piste'. You wont believe how many rough sleepers we have found by patrolling the more rural parts of the parishes.
I've led our Junior Wardens on Nature Walks and got them involved in the RENEWAL river clear ups too. Trying to inspire the next generation sounds like a cliche, but hopefully you know what I mean.
Nature is a passion for me, but if you know me and / or read this blog you'll know that already.


So, conservation...
Following the BBOWT account on the work twitter account I saw that they were offering a Conservationist Trainee's post on Greenham Common.
Interested!

Learn skills like hedge laying, wildlife surveying, heath and river management etc. Right up my street.
The catch? it's voluntary. A years training at three days a week, but no salary.

I've tried to embrace the whole redundancy thing as 'doors opening'. There are no other warden schemes and unless I go back to leisure, I will be doing something new.
When you have an amazing job, the next move has to be a good one. I liked the sound of the BBOWT traineeship. Through work I know a lot of them and they are a good bunch. The redundancy package that ten years service offered would help to see me though the financial income drought. Hopefully!

So apply I did. Last Tuesday I had the interview, and on Friday I was offered the post.
Today I told my employer and I start mid May, the week after my birthday.

If only I could start a week earlier! I have been informed that is the week they are tracking 'tagged' adders!

Leaving will be sad. So many goodbyes to say to so many people I've got to know so well over the last decade, but...

 I think I'm going to enjoy this!

Leading Greenham kids on a self guided Nature Walk.

Taking our Junior Wardens around the Nature Discovery Centre.

Aint no party like a (Lower Farm) Bird Hide party!

 

All that way to see a duck. Good Friday adventure.

With birthdays and other family commitments, Easter was looking pretty busy, and sadly the weather looked pretty abysmal.
Good Friday was the one window of opportunity to get out with the camera. It was still cold, migration hadn't really kicked off, but the one sunny day of the long weekend (I had a week off actually) and that was the day I chose for some 'Chris Time'. A day out with the camera.

What was about? A couple more Spoonbill and a Long Tailed Duck at Keyhaven. The Penduline Tit have not been seen at Titchfield and everywhere else was pretty quiet too.
So, Keyhaven won.  Not seen a Long Tailed Duck before, cue a disappearing act like the Pendulines?

Setting off before 8.am, I got there at 9 and the car park was already chocka. Everyone had the same idea it seems. I was immediately reminded why I like working weekends. You get days off in the week (normal days) when everyone else is at work and everywhere is quiet.

After walking around for thirty minutes I actually started to think I had returned too soon. It had only been a couple of weeks since my last visit and little had changed. And of course, the spoonbill were still sleeping.
As nice as the day was, not much was happening.

A pair of Dartford Warblers were flitting around the gorse at the Hurst end of Keyhaven. Sadly a little way off.  A Curlew (and a few Grey Plover) on the mudflats - And the two Spoonbill were still sleeping.

In the distance I could see a good number of people with scopes, perched on the end of Pennington Lagoon. Gotta be the Long Tailed Duck?   It was about a mile away, but I headed over.
By the time I got there the duck was way out to sea, with a good number of Merganser. Very distant shots, in to the sun, by someone who cant work a camera. But, a 'lifer'. So I was happy.

Then back to Fishtail Lagoon as the Spoonbill, five now, had finally woken up!  The number of scopes trained on them indicated that at least.

Nice to finally get some semi decent shots of them. A bit closer would have been nice, but that was the theme of the day it seemed.

And then back home at midday to enjoy more of the wonderful sunshine in our wonderful new garden.

A good Friday.