About Graham Clarkson

Born & brought up in Marshside, I started birding there in the mid 1970s & made my first birding trip to Martin Mere in 1977. I've lived, worked & birdied in Abu Dhabi, Northern Ireland & Gloucestershire & I've spent time working in Kazakhstan & Madagascar. I enjoy birding my various West Lancashire patches, making frequent birding visits throughout the north-west of England and North Wales. I stray elsewhere in the UK & enjoy birding abroad from time to time. I'm particularly interested in wildfowl (especially pink-footed geese) with an interest in waders & raptors, bird counts & surveys & conservation. I'm trying to get the hang of photography & digiscoping - I'll get there eventually.

My degree from Edge Hill University is in conservation biology. I've guided on numerous birding days out & trips & guided birding holidays to Lesvos, Andalucia, Extremedura, Majorca, Camargue, Hungary, Finland & Florida. I enjoy showing people birds & habitats & helping them learn more about birds & enjoy birding. I'm currently involved with the Birdwatching and Beyond course at Edge Hill and a brand new venture; Skein Birding.

As well as birding I'm interested in captive breeding & reintroduction projects & zoos, how they're managed & how they contribute to conservation. I'm a proud Lancastrian & love the Lancashire countryside & landscapes. I'm an Evertonian & also keep up with what's happening at Southport, PNE & Bristol Rovers. Gardening, dogs (I have a Labrador & a Tibetan Terrier) and keeping chickens (especially Marsh Daisys & Scots Dumpy Bantams). Ruth & I have two marvellous boys who both love nature too. I hope you find the blog and subjects covered interesting; please feel free to leave a comment.

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Peregrine perched obligingly

This afternoon was bright, warm and sunny, in contrast to the cool, wet morning. By tea time I'd had enough of being cooped up indoors and headed up Curlew Lane for Mere Sands Wood. Didn't see the juv Cuckoo that has been seen regularly from Marshall hide recently so I headed for the Rufford hide, where Kingfishers have apparently been showing well. No apparently about it - a lensman in the hide, who'd been there all day, told me that both male and female birds had been fishing in front of the hide for several hours. I managed to get a couple of shots of the male (above). If you want to see a real life Kingfisher (instead of my dodgy scoped pics) get yourself down to Rufford hide at Mere Sands Wood as soon as you can. You won't be disappointed!

After the joy of Kingfisher I went to have a look at one of the local urban Peregrine hang outs (undisclosed I'm afraid). Great to see two fully fledged young flying around the place - one of them obligingly perched for a while (below). Magnificent birds that a making a great comeback. Let's hope it stays that way.

Juvenile Peregrine, undisclosed site North-west England

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