Book review----The Science of Hope----by Dr. Wiebke Finkler and Scott Davis

With the current state of things in the world, from the Pandemic to extreme weather conditions and it makes it difficult for the world to remain unaffected by them and the effect on our mental health and everyday lifes. I think the real effect is felt by our planet is the habitats and creatures that depend on the perfect temperatures, certain foods or just being left undisturbed in the far courners of the world where now humanty in encroching even further into these once protected wildlife forests and our last surviving edens. It may seem hopeless for our planets wildlife as even I was once an optimist but after seeing so much destruction even on my local patch from Nature abundant wasteland being turned into unneeded warehouse space where there are already empty unused warehouses. I find its always Nature that pays the price to see areas normally packed with wild flowers, Butterflys and grass hoppers where many species fed and kept hidden safe from man now under concrete and car parks. I feel like the green spaces we all need and our world needs are decreasing at a rapid rate most days I ask myself if I am still hopeful for the future of the creatures and habitats I love so much and my answer back is regretfully no.

 

Seeing the destruction and bleak stories on social media have me really doubting change so after being asked to review a book about the Science of Hope exploring some of some of our worlds most threatened wildlife and the ways in which people are dedicating there lives to help protect and increase populations of many species from retsoring habitats to breeding programs and most important of all educating local people that have the power to change there part of the world for the good of the planet.

After reading The Science of Hope by Dr. Wiebke Finkler and Scott Davis I found it had restored some hope for the future of some of our planets most amazing creatures in really unique beautiful locations that some us will ever get to see but hopefully thanks to the effort of hard working caring locals and conservationists from around the world it may be easier through ecotourism.  The subject is an interesting topic discussed in the book and is a great way to help protect and promote these creatures around the world plus make an income and allow people to see, care and connect with the Nature that could be lost within a few years if we don't try. I took away from the book that its 50/50 50% Science and 50% hope as without hope and hard work then the results will be for nothing and will fail so maybe its more hope and a little bit of science that will be the difference between losing the Graceful Whales that keep our seas alive and healthy or our closest living relative the apes that have lost so much of there jungle homes.

Click here to purchase The Science of Hope

After reading this wonderful book I ask myself again can we make a difference enough to protect and conserve our worlds creatures but my answer is still up in the air. One thing I am sure of is that I am more hopeful after reading The Science of Hope and seeing the stunning Nature photography inspires and blended with the conservation efforts mentioned shows that there is a chance and if we give the world and its creatures that then there will always be a tiny shining light in the dark we call hope backed up with the power of Science.

 

Thanks for reading

Mike

Strengthening my connection with Nature through water

In my last blog I was having trouble with my new raft camping/floating hide idea and thanks to some old bits of heavy metal I have made some achors so I can lower into the water to keep each side of my raft into the mud so I wont float off in the night and now that I have a 2 door tent that I can access the front, back and sides of the tent for emergencys and mooring up in wild spots. With my raft ready to go for wild camps I have decided to use more over the winter more as theres more darkness, clearer skys and the countryside comes more alive under a winter sky on land and in water.

Hearing the tick tick of the Robin as the light falls and rises especially as the temperature falls

My only issue was that I may have to insulate abit more with a thicker sleeping bag and tent carpet to as the problem with camping on water is your losing heat from above as well as below but I'll get more into that another time. One of the things I decided I wanted to do more of was spend more time in water wild swimming or wild dipping if its especially cold and this year I have just done that from rivers, lakes and the sea.

 

It was so refreshing and life affirming to see Swans swimming by while in the water under the water through huge shoals of sand eels in clear blue seas that you would not believe was in the UK.

Having an hour and a flask of tea in a quiet bay on the Menai straits

Paddle boarding the river always ended with a dip in more secluded locations to cool down my body after being out on some really hot days watching large Barbel speeding about on the gravel river bed.

 

 

Under the water the Minnows seem to be in good number meaning healthy river providing food for the abundant Kingfishers that have done well from low rainfall meaning barely any floods in the breeding season. One thing I did notice was the Minnows seem to have developed the same appetite as the skin-nibbling, toothless carp that to be used in fish based pedicures which got banned to due health issues.

 

I have just received a couple of books to read & review which I'll post soon and as I have a long weekend off every month till February 2022 will mean I can get out and reconnect with the thing I love for the next 4 months so I'll be posting more when I get the chance to. The one thing that never changes for me is the feeling of being outdoors wearing my comfy outdoors clothing heading off camping with everything I need to survive in one back pack by the coast.

 

Thanks for reading

Mike

Stay wild and be free

Connecting with Nature - Wildlife + camping = Wildlife camping with a twist

Earlier in the year during Winter and what felt like the 100th lockdown we have had I decided once that I had planned, booked and paid for all my holidays I wanted to do some creative unique things I have thought of but not seen people do as who wants to be like everybody else "Not me".

After kayaking and paddleboarding for many years and my love for camping this got me thinking and I wondered if I could combine the two things together. After many searches on camping on water including rafts and life rafts I found the perfect product which I bought straight away with much excitement. 

 

I enjoyed using 8by2 sturdy well made product in the spring of 2021 it was wonderful that unlike a sup board or kayak to have space and beable to hang my legs in the water on hot days while watching all the river wildlife. So I had the raft base now I needed a cheap tent from Argos that measured just right to place on the raft to test my theory and see what issues there maybe from camping on water whether a river, lake or canal each one brings its own challenges and positives but if it gave me unique moments with nature it was worth it.

With shallow rivers I can moor up to the banks by stepping out into the water with using a mooring pin or rope onto a tree as there are many isolated areas not accesible by land and only via water especially in this time of overgrown river banks my local river felt like a small piece of the Amazon making there even more of a reason to enjoy camping on the river. On canals and lakes I cannot just step out into the water so it makes the toilet situtation tricky but I solved that quite easily with common sense but thats not for this blog for two reasons. So first I camped alone on the lake and it was amazing no problems except abit wet under the tent from the heavy rain but I slept well and had a good night sleep with the door open I could see the geese and swans plus other various creatures moving in the darkness including bats feeding on the insects buzzing on the waters surface so a bat detector is a future purchase I really want to use while sleeping on the water.

Feeding swans from my comfy bed I even brought my bed pillows from home

With my first camp out of the way with a few small issues depending on weather I decided to try with another person in the tent as it was 2 man tent and the says it holds 3 adults and one child so 2 adults and gear for comfort and filming should equal below the maximum weight it can take. The 2 man attempt was on a dry clear night under the stars unlike the first this time we could hear the tawnys calling from the tall willow trees on the lakes edge. My main problem in windy weather is staying still and accesing the front and the boat of the raft for storage and mooring but I'll go into that in my next blog hopefully in the next few days.

Camp raft 2.0 on its way and in a more inconspicuous color

Thanks for reading

Mike

Stay wild and be free

A few hours by the Crown hotel

Last week we decided on taking a bus trip to an area I've seen while on route to Wales for our cottage holidays. The area in question is small beach/pebbled area with some rocks and plenty of muddy for lots of waders, Geese and duck species. There were a large number of birds including Godwits a first sighting for me. There is only access via a bridge over the railway and when we arrived the tide was just coming in pushing the waders ever closer to us.

To the keep the weight down my brother brought his camera and I left mine allowing me to have more room for food supplies. As it was quite overcast and we only intended a quick visit it seemed the best plan. It was our last visit over the Welsh border till December. To make this Winter holiday more special we have decided to book a cottage with a view and hopefully if the weathers bad we don't have to leave the cottage to spot Dolphins, sea birds, seals and who knows even Whales have been known to visit the coast in December.

A little tease of the cottage below

Regards

Mike

Cheshire Badger cull :-(

Where science and facts have been pushed aside the Badger cull has once again started and has now come to Cheshire. I know a few people involved with legally disrupting the cull shooters and making sure they follow the rules where they can.

Those people out there fighting the injustice have my respect I would love to be involved but as I can't drive and the cull area in Cheshire is in the middle of a no bus area. Instead, I have decided to keep an eye on all my local setts and try to check 10 every other day including poo pits for traces of peanuts and sett disturbances as in early 2017 sett diggers were disrupted on my local patch. At nearby Blakemere I spotted these dodger diggers which I reported to Cheshire hunt monitors.

We only the second week of 6 weeks of shooters being allowed to trap and shoot Badgers and hopefully, the quota they won't be met. We will only know that once the 6 weeks are over if the hard work of the sabs (Badger defenders) who are sacrificing their time and own money pays off.

You can donate to them here:

If you can donate anything to there fuel fund they would really appreciate it!
https://gogetfunding.com/badger-cull-fuel-fund-2/

Regards

Mike

"Stay safe Badger warriors, for you are the last stand against the death in the darkness"

A suprise encounter :-) :-)

 I know I said I would not be posting but last week on the first day of my week off I got the opportunity to get something I've been trying to photograph for a while. If you have followed my blog over the past few years you will know how long I have been trying and all though the shots are not the best they mean the world to me. Last Monday I headed out early with wellies, umbrella and camera in my back pack as I left home the rain poured down and as it was very warm it was quite pleasant. I saw the Otter in an open part of the river stretched out swimming down river diving and surfacing but getting further away and not having my camera out at that point I had to think fast to get anything on my camera. I decided to run further down river to an Open spot where I new the water was shallow and the Otter would have to emerge from the water to enter deeper water. And it did I watched as it left the water skulking low using the balsam as cover it entered a deeper pool and dived for a minute then came to the surface where I got my second shot before it disappeared into the more overgrown parts of the river.

 First photograph I took from under some trees and not wanting to scare I turned the flash off

 Color close up to show this beautiful creature up close a few meters away

After this encounter I returned home elated and with the rain still pouring down I decided I had earned a few more hours in bed after finally getting this close encounter and with a few blurry shots to record the moment was a perfect start to my last week off of the summer season.

The beauty of my local patch on a sunnier morning

Later that week I went to check out some countryside an hour away from home at a town called Macclesfield which is close to some hilly and large areas of forest but we could not stay long due to having to get back to pack for a 2 day camping trip to Wales.

Kind regards

Mike

Local patch Bird life and Springy things

Being quite a way into spring now it seems the birds are still holding back on breeding but we have alot of time left as it just beginning. I'm really loving the smells of all the flowering buds on the trees and plants especially first thing in the morning after abit of rain in the night makes it so stimulating to the senses. Back to the feathery subject now and as I have found a few good birds locally. On the edge of my local patch I found a pair of Kestrels nesting in a old barn Owl box, luckily there is a Hawthorn tree which is quite tight to the ground nearby which will provide a perfect if not spiky hide. I'll post some photographs soon as I will be observing them for a while before photographing as I love to appreciate Nature through my own eyes before looking at it through a lens.

My favorite thing to do at this time of year before work is to head off to a peaceful place to enjoy the birds singing as the sunrises into a clear blue sky. While out last week with my binoculars I got some lovely views of Whitethroats and Grasshopper warblers which seem to be every where on my local patch at the minute which I think is a first for here. Alot of the Mallard ducklings have disappeared from the local pond whether due to human interference or natural predators I can't say. I've seen an increase in distrustful individuals carrying air pistols in public places close to active Nature places. A quick reminder that with all the birds and mammals breeding please remember not every one loves and wants to protect Nature so if you see anything suspicious regarding wildlife then checkout my picture below.

New posts to come on bad weather days and as I'm on my holidays soon expect Welsh related posts :-)

Thanks for reading my blog

Stay wild, be happy and be safe
 

Mike

A new year and a false spring in full swing

With the New year in full swing and my wildlife sketch book filling up quickly I have decided to get going with the blog again.  My focus over the Winter months changes from my summer favorites like filming, photographing wildlife and enjoying the outdoors, so from December to February I like to patrol and keep an eye on areas where wildlife is vulnerable to a few local Sport Hunters and people who like to go out commit wildlife crimes. With Spring and the longer days of spring in sight thanks to this Winters milder temperatures. I think Spring 2016 will arrive earlier than before as I have seen a few very early signs on my local patch thanks to the frost less December.

I have noticed the local Swans paring up and beginning to show nesting behavior with the female picking up reeds and placing them in a pile while the male chatters next to her as if to say it's abit early for that.

While taking and a wander through a local woodland I found that on one of the ponds the reeds and vegetation was growing quite quickly. Normally they start growing at the end of winter usually early March which coincides with the first Frog spawn of the year. I am thinking that we could see Frog spawn in the nest month or 2.

With the signs above showing an early spring my thoughts of days by the sea and in the mountains are at the though of my mind.

Thank you and stay wild

Mike Mottram

A few more drawings from the Diaries of a Cheshire wildlife watcher sketch book

Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter on my local river

With the 4th season of the year upon us I have decided to post a photograph from each season taken on my local river. From Spring to Winter I visited this bridge to see if I could spot the local Otters and Kingfishers. Most days I just enjoyed the view and enjoyed the trickling calmness of the flowing water. While I was there I thought it would be a good idea to take a photograph to capture the beauty of each season in one photograph. As you can see the sun usually sets behind the bridge casting some really beautiful light at the end of the day. 

SPRING

SUMMER

AUTUMN

WINTER

All the photographs put together in one picture

 
Thanks for reading my blog
Stay wild, be happy and be safe

Mike

From my doorstep to the sea

Having had a quiet end to the Summer and enjoying the last of the sunny weather without taking my camera with me. It has been nice to just observe and watch Nature as it changes to Autumn. Over the past few weeks I have dusted off my bike and started to clock up the miles and have found some great places for Foxes and Barn Owls. So far I have been using the canal tow paths and cycle paths along the roadside. I have biked from Middlewich my home town to Marbury park in Northwich where I spent a lovely few hours enjoying the sun and the open quiet space. The Nature park is about 8 miles there and 8 miles back along bumpy and muddy paths. I felt like I had achieved so much for my first long distance bike ride.

 A few photographs taken on my I-phone from my journey

After biking over 16+ miles in a few hours this got me thinking about an idea I once had as a child, the idea was that I wanted to go from my home to the sea using my own body to walk and cycle to the closest piece of coastline. I have worked out that my biking journey from my doorstep to the sea would be around 50 miles or more depending on the route I take. As I don't feel safe biking on the roads and the scenery is less than stunning I have decided to use the waterways as a way to get from my home Middlewich-Nantwich-Chester-Talacre(North Wales) and once I get to Chester there is a long coastal path suitable for biking.
Next long distance biking location

To get to the stage where I can do 50+ miles in one day I will need to clock up the miles and see if I can slowly push my body into getting used to biking for long distances. Rather than select a distance and head along the canal till I reach the selected distance I have decided to find places just off the canals where I can visit before I head back home. My next place to bike to was abit further a field as I want to increase my distance every few weeks until I can do 50 in one day so 25 miles one way and 25 back. When I do make it to Wales by bike I don't think I will be biking it back on the same as I think I will need a few days to recover.

Thanks for reading my blog

Stay wild, be happy and be safe
 

Mike

Cuckoos on Conwy mountain

While walking up one of the hills on Conwy mountain I heard a Cuckoo and after listening to it's cuckoo call we managed to pinpoint it's location. We found the male bird in an area of trees close to a farm and after 5 minutes of waiting the bird flew out and headed up to higher ground. It returned 10 minutes later being mobbed by another male bird.
I managed to get 2 flight shots and this one seemed to be the best one

 Mobbed

Only the male Cuckoo calls with the Cuckoo call and the female uses a bubbling call so it was quite interesting to see them competing for any females in the area. The 2 males kept getting mobbed by pipits that did not want them any where near there nests. It was great to hear my first Cuckoo and to see 2 on my second visit was a great result. Now I know there up there at this time of the year hopefully I can get back there next year or maybe in July before they leave as I would like to photograph one perched in a tree. 
I spotted this Pipit with food in it's mouth so it must have had a nest nearby

 Buzzard chased by a Crow

 This Fox was hunting in one of the fields near to where the cuckoo called

The views from Conwy mountain are beautiful as you can see by the photographs below

As this is my second and last visit on this trip it was nice to get a few photographs of a bird I've never photographed before and to find a new wild location to relax is a bonus for me. Since returning home I have heard my first Cuckoo on my local patch down by the river.

Thanks for reading my blog

Stay wild, be happy and be safe

Mike