Birdfair Weekend

 Some of my purchases- it was an expensive weekend, got a new 100-400mm canon lens, a owling torch, a sculpture of a Firecrest by Mark Andrews, Flood and Fisher's latest instalment of brilliance and also spent today kitting out the camper van for our autumn adventure

 I love this. Next to a Steve Gale original that I bought on a previous BirdFair.

 Fellow Inglorious Bustards, Niki and Simon (senior RSPB renegades) wearing Holly's artwork that she did for a new venture that Niki and Simon are up to based in Southern Spain aimed at younger naturalists. Holly and I are travelling down there in a couple of weeks in the camper. 

 Simon's new Short-toed Eagle tattoo. 

 Another personal highlight was Mark Constantine (the magician behind a great many things in Birding ), Magnus Robb and Killian Mullarney doing a Sound Approach talk. Also epic to see so many friends from across the network with some really cutting edge initiatives going on including Champions of the Flyway, REGUA and the World Land Trust, Avery and Packham's people power campaign, Biotope are pushing boundaries and great to see the Azores crews. Still worrying to see such a dominance of traditional old white middle class and the Optics arm races but the progressive contingent well represented too. 

I really liked this.