Friday, 22 September 2023
Bulgaria Day Six
Thursday, 21 September 2023
Bulgaria Days Four and Five
Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Bulgaria Day Three
Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Bulgaria Day Two
Sunday, 17 September 2023
Bulgaria Day One
Arjun and I arrived at Kamen Bryag with just enough day light remaining to have a quick look around the village. Ebird list HERE. Highlight was an evident fall of Red-breasted Flycatchers with at least 30 on our short evening walk. Also a Corncrake which is a Bulgaria tick for me.
Saturday, 16 September 2023
The week that was at the Old Vic
Friday, 15 September 2023
Non-stop Birding Autumn Quick Guide
I always flick back through this blog to check out my previous autumn strategies to inspire/warn me when making the current year plans. Thought I would do myself a favour and do a quick guide to save me time next year! So a very brief summary of what I got up to on all the autumns covered in this blog (for before this blog see HERE)
2008 Weekend birding with Simon in Essex, highlights included Sabine's Gull and some good wader passage including a Dotterel in Gunner's Park. Stringed a Broad-billed Sand but corrected it in time before Lee Evans arrived. Regular birding at Beddington Farmlands, highlights included Knot and the farm's first Great Egret (a big deal at the time). Also dipped a Wryneck that the ringers caught.
Visited the Azores from 17th October to 1st November re-found the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on Corvo, had our first Black-throated Green Warbler and Darryl found a White-eyed Vireo
2009 Moved into the Beddington Obs in September this year, had a few bits including Little Stint and Wood Sand and started the campaign with the help of David Lindo. Still doing weekends with Simon in Essex, highlights included Gannets in the Thames.
Spent a lot of time in the Azores this autumn, firstly doing pelagic exploration with Simon from 22nd September where we found some of the largest concentrations of Wilson's Petrel in the WP also recorded several Fea's-type Petrels. Then back on the Azores from 7th to 20th October, highlights that autumn included American Redstart, Black-throated Green Warbler, Common Nighthawk, Darryl found a Canada Warbler and I found a few bits including American Herring Gull, Baltimore Oriole and Red-breasted Grosbeak.
2010 This was a great Azores autumn; Lincoln's Sparrow, Northern Flicker, American Black Tern, Rough-legged Hawk, Cedar Waxwing and lots of other good bits.
Back at Beddington we had 3 Gannet go over, there was a Pec (and a couple of Lap Bunts that I didn't see) and we did a load of campaigning including the first Hackbridge carnival, was working for Viridor doing reed planting etc and wrote an article for Birdwatch. Was still doing weekends with Simon and had stuff like Pec and Red-necked Phal etc in the Thames.
2011 Another epic Azores autumn with White-tailed Tropicbird, Summer Tanager, Northern Harrier, Tennessee Warbler, Purple Martin, Yellow-crowned Night Heron and I found a Sedge Warbler (lol) which was a first for the Azores. Also first started taking an interest in the moths on Corvo this year.
Back at Beddington I started getting into moths based from the obs and discovered Dewick's Plusia which was a big deal at the time. Had a few bits including Pec, Curlew Sand, Arctic Tern and some good shorebird flight days. Also started getting into self sufficiency and growing food and campaigning ramped up with our first Environmental Fair. I guess this is where I really started being more bio-diverse.
2012 Local birding doesn't get much better than a Long-tailed Skua from the kitchen window- a first for Beddington! Also some great October flight days at Beddington with a flock of over 190 Brents going over, Little Gulls, Knot and Ring Ouzel etc. Doing loads of mothing (Jersey Tigers started being a thing around now) and local biodiversity improvements in Hackbridge and at the farmlands and doing walks etc. The application for incinerator went in this autumn.
Another mental time on Corvo with Golden-winged Warbler, American Robin, Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Dicksissel, flocks of American waders literally in the streets, Darryl found a Wood Thrush, we found a flock of 10 American Golden Plovers on Sao Miguel and there was loads more stuff. The Azores Pelagic in late August was also epic this year - we discovered a regular spot for Swinhoe's Storm-petrel and also found a Zino's Petrel.
2013 Only did a short Corvo trip this year and didn't see much (missed the Yellow-throated Warbler!). Spent more time doing Pelagics on the Azores in September with highlights including Brown Booby, Fea's-type Petrels and Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel. Had an ill-fated trip to Santa Maria to dip Whale Shark.
Back at Beddington had a Redstart in the garden and the Farmlands campaign had ramped right up. Found the farm's first Chalkhill Blue.
2014 Highlights at the farmlands included Grey Phalarope, a couple of Ospreys, Spot Red, Sandwich Terns but some peak birding time was dominated by the Judicial Review at the High Court.
Another short visit to Corvo was my 10th anniversary there but it was pretty quiet but did pick up the Willet on Sao Miguel. Again we were focusing on pelagics in September and also setting up the Natural history trip. Bonser found South Polar Skua on the Azores Pelagic this year.
2015 After a couple of relatively quiet Azores trips in 2014 and 2013, 2015 came back with a bang- found an Eastern Wood Pewee (a 2nd for WP) and saw Blue-winged Warbler and Veery and loads of supporting cast in an epic fall of american birds mainly around Corvo village.
This was the first autumn I did a trip to Bulgaria- I got the train there and travelled across Europe and did some epic vis-mig birding on the Black Sea coast with Dylan, Dimiter and Marina.
Found a Serin at Beddington- a first for site. Twitched a Barred Warbler that Lee found on Staines Moor.
One of the best autumn's ever- this Black Sea in September and Azores in October is a good formula.
2016 The Battle of Beddington was clearly being lost (also missed an adult Sabine's Gull while in a campaign meeting) by this point and it was also dead on Corvo (this was the year of the Siberian Accentor invasion so everything was coming from the East, not the West). The Azores Pelagic went out but this was the first year I didn't join- it was pretty successful with Swinhoe's again. Did get Upland Sand on the Azores and Long-eared Owl for my Azores list so even the worst year on the Azores was still rewarding. Found a Wilson's Phalarope on a seawatch with Darryl.
I bought the Campervan this year and also started dating Holly.
Probably my worst autumn ever but a good year overall as Jacob was on the way.
2017 Jacob was born this year and was splitting my time between the Beddington Obs and the Old Vic. We did a trip in the Campervan to France with Jacob.
Had a good bit of London birding and found Arctic Skua, Red-necked and Grey Phalarope and Pec at Staines (which was drained). Towards the end of the autumn the Hawfinch invasion had started and picked them up at Beddington and the Old Vic. Dave Campbell found a Twite in November at the farmlands.
Yet another quiet trip to the Azores for me (I picked the worst week of the autumn) but luckily I picked up the Redhead on Terceira on the way out to Corvo. Had a few good migrant moths at Beddington on the back of hurricane Ophelia which brought some good yanks onto Corvo.
2018 Another classic autumn; Found a Richard's Pipit at Beddington and Corvo was mega with Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-throated Vireo, Wood Thrush, White-throated Sparrow, Bay-breasted Warbler, Wilson's Warbler and loads more too including the first Yellow-browed Warblers on Corvo.
Saw a Beluga in the Thames in September and also had a few bits at Farmoor Res and resurrected more birding days in Kent. A flock of 19 Spoonbill at Beddington was great as was a couple of nice Black Terns and Spot Red. Did the People's March for Wildlife this year as things at Beddington had radicalised.
2019 Hermit Thrush on Corvo was the bird of the year for me but overall it was another relatively quiet trip although a Connecticut Warbler had been caught and ringed on Flores this autumn too and Prothonatary, Cape May and Chestnut-sided Warbler had been recorded earlier in the season. The natural history and pelagic trips went out on the Azores but I was away on a road trip in Eastern Europe.
So another year of the winning formula of the Black Sea in September and Azores in October. Found Terek Sand in Bulgaria and had a load of good migrants. Also started focusing on the moths more and mothed our way across Europe with plenty of nice finds.
Back at Beddington, things had gone completely radical and we had joined the Extinction Rebellion movement and was blocking bridges in London and threatening to take action in Sutton.
2020 This was the Great Re-Set year so no foreign travel during autumn so the perfect opportunity to revisit my roots and do an autumn in the UK. Found Pallas's and Dusky Warbler and also Eastern Stonechat, an Arctic Skua at Beddington and a Dotterel in Bucks. Also travelled round with the moth trap and caught a few nice migrants but nothing rare- so the first year I started to rarity hunt birds and moths. Was also keeping an eye out for rare dragonflies too. Also did a few trips into Kent with Kojak and saw some nice bits like Purple Heron and Pied Fly.
Meanwhile had started self sufficiency big time at the Old Vic and had taken mothing to a new level of effort.
A few people made it out to Corvo but it was overall pretty quiet.
2021 Isaac was born at the end of this year so once again I didn't leave the country. Did another autumn of bird and moth rarity hunting and visited Portland for the first time mothing. Didn't find much but twitched the Long-toed Stint and White-tailed Plover and saw some great moths. Found Vagrant Piercers in Bucks and Oxon which were local megas. A Purple Sandpiper at Farmoor was an total inland mega. Also saw Pec in Oxon this year. I'd moved out of the Beddington Obs by this year so was spending more time in Oxon and getting more deep into moths too.
The Azores was pretty quiet but a Prothonotary Warbler late in the season and a Warbling Vireo early on was all it took to make it another great year there.
2022 Yet another year autumn birding mainly in the UK, this time because I was out in West Papua to early October. Didn't find much (a few skuas and a Sooty Shearwater in the Thames was the best I could muster and also twitched a juv Red-foot in Kent) but in November I went out to Bulgaria and found Desert Wheatear (3rd for Bulgaria) and back in the UK I had a Vagrant China-mark at the Old Vic (a first for Bucks) and earlier on in the autumn I had Bordered Straw, Loxostege Sticticalis and Convolvulus Hawkmoth which were local rarities too. Also saw loads of rare moths at Portland including Egyptian Bollworm and jammed in on the Crimson Speckled invasion.
2023 So inspired by some winning formulas in the past this autumn I'm heading out to Bulgaria tomorrow with Arjun to target vis-mig, rare birds and moths and if all falls into place in October I'll keep an eye on the weather and head out to the Azores in mid-October and in between do a bit of rarity hunting in the UK and maybe a bit of twitching too. Would be nice one year to take two months off work and plan the ultimate autumn!
Wednesday, 13 September 2023
ULEZ and the Dark Green Transition
Two weeks ago, the
Ultra-low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was extended to the outer London boroughs, which
now includes our service area at work. This extension is enforced through over
3000 cameras and carries heavy penalties. However, it has proven unpopular among
certain sectors of the community, leading to protests, acts of vandalism
targeting the cameras, and resistance from specific political camps, along with
legal challenges.
1.
Prioritizing Polluters: In our service area, the most significant
contributor to air pollution is the Beddington Farmlands incinerator,
responsible for emitting 300,000 tonnes of CO2 annually along with other
pollutants. Surprisingly, incinerators like this one are not taxed for their
carbon emissions or regulated through mandatory carbon credit markets. This
unmitigated pollution remains the largest single source of CO2 emissions in our
London Borough.
2.
Loss of Green Spaces: The continual destruction of green
spaces, such as Beddington Farmlands, the de-designation of Metropolitan Open
Land (MOL) and green belt areas, the removal of trees and carbon-absorbing
plants, and the reduction of garden biodiversity, including the proliferation
of non-permeable surfaces, collectively contribute to a loss of carbon
sequestration in South London.
3.
Vehicle Replacement: The wholesale replacement of working
vehicles with new ones for carbon accounting gains is a subject of debate.
Manufacturing, engineering, and transporting brand new vehicles across the
global market incur a substantial carbon footprint. It may make more sense to
replace older fossil fuel vehicles only after maximizing their use, as they too
contribute to a carbon footprint legacy. With only 10% of vehicles in London
being non-compliant, this transition was already underway as older vehicles
were being replaced with Euro 6-grade compliant vehicles.
4.
Financial Impact: Channeling significant funds into City Hall and bearing the
associated costs of monitoring and enforcing the ULEZ does not directly
alleviate air pollution. Essentially, those who pay daily fees are essentially
paying for the privilege to pollute, with the funds potentially disappearing
into bureaucratic channels rather than being invested in actual environmental
improvements.
5.
Environmental Tax and Financial Pressures: This environmental tax
adds to the financial pressures faced by Londoners. It reduces their ability to
afford environmentally friendly products or invest in natural capital, such as
tree planting and biodiversity improvements, as well as supporting charities
and participating in natural capital markets. The funds diverted to
manufacturers and City Hall represent missed opportunities for investments in
eco-social projects and land for nature preservation.
1.
Prioritize Major Polluters: Address the biggest
polluters first, such as KKR Inc. & Co./Viridor/Valencia, a billion-dollar
global asset management company responsible for significant ecological and
environmental damage at Beddington Farmlands. The incinerator, a major CO2 and air
pollutant source, remains unregulated and untaxed, despite its significant
impact. KKR should fulfill its obligations to create wetlands and plant trees
to mitigate its environmental impact.
2.
Protect Green Spaces: Halt the destruction of green spaces by
preventing the de-designation of protected lands that are being sold to
industrial interests. Local examples include the de-designation and sale of
Beddington Lane frontage to Beddington Farmlands for warehouse use.
3.
Promote Biodiversity: Introduce regulations to safeguard garden
trees and biodiversity, limiting non-permeable surfaces and astro-turf in
private gardens. Encourage private tree planting and biodiversity net gain.
4.
Plant More Trees: Invest in tree planting initiatives throughout the borough,
including parks and streets, and incentivize private tree planting and carbon
sequestration.
5.
Support Sustainable Markets: Develop sustainable
markets and shift more responsibility for the green transition to manufacturers
and businesses, those better equipped to afford it. Continue the development of
carbon and natural capital markets to reflect environmental costs in product
prices, discouraging unsustainable goods while incentivizing sustainable ones.
Londoners need the financial means to support these sustainable markets, making
taxes a less effective means of achieving environmental goals.
6.
Assist Small Businesses: Provide additional support to small
companies and individuals struggling to adapt to the ULEZ.