30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday in June - The Highlights

30 Days Wild - A Wildlife Trust initiative for June 2015

The month has flown by and now we are at the end, I thought I would remind myself of the best bits and in some cases maybe the nature I would otherwise have missed.

Monday 1st June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 1 - Today I was up early with Dad as we had a nest box with baby blue tits in it (the official term is Pulley) in our garden in Somerset.

There were 5 in the nest, which is quite low for a number for Blue Tit which regularly have 3-4 more than that.

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing Blue Tit Pulley
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig checking a Blue Tit Nestbox
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Thursday 4th June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 4 - A walk into Compton Woods, at the top of our lane, onto the Mendip escarpment.  Smelling the garlic...

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose walking in Compton Woods

Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig AKA Birdgirl

Saturday 6th June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 6 - Demonstrating the ringing (banding) of a beautiful Blackbird at Chew Valley Ringing Station to 17 young people (but old to me!) from Bristol Nature Network.

It was strange having so many photographs taken of you but great that people were so interested.  I had a million questions fired at me about ringing, how long I had been doing it, how I got into it, was it hard etc but felt quite pleased that I could answer them with something useful!

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose doing a ringing demonstration to Bristol Nature Network

Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig AKA Birdgirl

Thursday 11 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 11 - The field opposite our house, abuts our garden across the road.  It is steep at the top, where it starts heading up the Mendip escarpment.  The field is really beautiful at the moment with long grass and wild flowers.

Today I walked to the very top of the field to admire the view. In this tranquility, I impulsively took of my shoes and danced in the field, rehearsing the ballet dance I am going to be performing in a upcoming show.

Dancing in this wild flower meadow
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Friday 12 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 12 - Today I went to The Avalon Marshes Centre on the Somerset Levels, after school.  This is where my Camp Avalon for young birders it taking place next weekend.  I had a look around to assess the best places for feeders, which I then filled and put up.  Hopefully, the birds will get used to feeding on the feeders so that when we put nets up, we'll catch some birds for ringing.

Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig assessing the habitat
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Mya-Rose Craig filling feeders
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Saturday 13 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday 

Day 13 - 13 June 2015 - Examining Brian up close

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with a snail  at Bristol Festival of Nature
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Today I spent the day at the Festival of Nature in Bristol, Britain's largest free nature festival.  I am so lucky to live here.

This photograph is taken with a BBC Natural History Unit long lens, and shows me getting close up to a snail as is used in lots of wildlife programmes.  Picture Sir David Attenborough looking at an ant.

We also went to see Bill Oddie speak and as expected he was very funny. He talked about lots of topics that I feel passionately about like Palm Oil Plantations in Borneo that have replaced virtually all of the rain forest out there, ringing as a child (I love it too), the crime of the government wanting to make hunting with dogs legal again and puffins.

I found Bill Oddie to be interested in me (he commented on my Birdgirl t-shirt and asked me which hummingbird it was - Swordbilled), as chatty as you can expect from real live person (in case they didn't realise the person on stage/TV is a persona and in my experience most comedians are not funny in normal conversations (my parents are friends with a few).

Bill Oddie with Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at Bristol Festival of Nature
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Sunday 21 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 21 - Today I did another ringing demonstration but this time to people between 12 and 17 years old.  Most had never watched ringing before or held a bird.  The ringing was part of Camp Avalon and took place at the Avalon Marshes Centre on the Somerset Levels. It was particularly great to see the ethnic minority inner city boys interested. 

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig giving a ringing demo at Camp Avalon

Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig giving a ringing demo at Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Ringing demo at Camp Avalon

Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Friday 26 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 26 - Today I took my Scout group to the Mendips to look for Nightjar.  It was amazing to watch the group so excited at just hearing a bird churring.

Most of my Scout group don't know anything about birds and so I think it is really important to try and get them interested.  

Scouts looking for Nightjar, Stockhill, Somerset

Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Tuesday 30 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 30 - Ringing Canada Geese

The 30 June was the last day of 30 Days Wild and I wanted to go out with something big. Maybe a rarity at Chew Valley Lake? 

Then it was fixed as the date arranged for corraling, catching and ringing the Canada Geese at Chew Valley Lake.  It was perfect for the last day of the month.

They used a boat to corrale the geese onto onto dry land, where they shut them into a fenced off area.  

Then people carried the goose under their arm, avoided letting it bite them, then held it whilst it was ringed. I managed to ring lots of geese, which was brilliant.  It was quite hard as the metal ring was big and made out of hard metal.

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 

Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday in June 2015 - Week 5

30 Days wild - A Wildlife Trusts initiative for June 2015

Monday 29 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 29 - Painting a quick watercolour of an orchard before school. Inspired by artist John Gale to just have a go, so I did.

Orchard by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Tuesday 30 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 30 - Ringing Canada Geese

Today is the last day of #30DaysWild and I wanted to go out with something big. Maybe a rarity at Chew Valley Lake?  

Then I realised that today was the date arranged for corraling, catching and ringing the Canada Geese at Chew Valley Lake.  The Geese are flightless at the moment and so we only have a small window of about 10 days to do the ringing.

It was perfect for the last day of the month and fairly unplanned on my part.

They used a boat to corrale the geese onto one side of the lake and then onto dry land, where we shut them into a fenced off area.  

Then a couple of ringers picked up each bird, got them into the right holding position and gave them to people ready to take over.  The carriers then had to carry the goose under their arm, avoid letting it bite them, then hold it whilst I or another ringer ringed it.  After that they carry the goose to the people ready to weigh them before letting the geese go.

I managed to ring lots of geese, which was brilliant.  It was quite hard as the metal ring was big and made out of hard metal.

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Chew Valley Lake

Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Then a few days ago, I was chatting to Dad and realised that today was the date arranged for coralling, catching and ringing the Canada Geese at Chew Valley Lake.  The Geese are flightless at the moment and so we only have a small window of about 10 days to do the ringing.

It was perfect for the last day of the month and fairly unplanned on my part.

They used a boat to corale the geese onto one side of the lake and then onto dry land, when we shut them into a fenced off area.

Then very experienced ringers sex the geese, hold them and give them to you ready to take over.  I then have to carry the goose under my arm, avoid letting it bite me, then hold it whilst someone rings it.  After that you carry the goose to the people ready to weight them, give the identifying number, sex and them watch them weight the geese before releasing them.

It was a long evening and we arrived home physically exhausted from the whole thing.

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 

Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter

30 Days Wild - Day 30 - 30 June 2015

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Chew Valley Lake

Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 30 - Ringing Canada Geese

Today is the last day of 30 Days Wild and I wanted to go out with something big. Maybe a rarity at Chew Valley Lake?  I had avoided just listing a different bird at the lake each day, as this would have been my normal behaviour and I wanted to be different.

Then a few days ago, I was chatting to Dad and realised that today was the date arranged for corraling, catching and ringing the Canada Geese at Chew Valley Lake.  The Geese are flightless at the moment and so we only have a small window of about 10 days to do the ringing.

It was perfect for the last day of the month and fairly unplanned on my part.

They used a boat to corrale the geese onto one side of the lake and then onto dry land, where we shut them into a fenced off area.  

Then a couple of ringers picked up each bird, got them into the right holding position and gave them to people ready to take over.  The carriers then had to carry the goose under their arm, avoid letting it bite them, then hold it whilst I or another ringer ringed it.  After that they carry the goose to the people ready to weigh them before letting the geese go.

I managed to ring lots of geese, which was brilliant.  It was quite hard as the metal ring was big and made out of hard metal.

It was great as three people from Bristol Nature Network, Jessica Tagney, Stephanie Hitchcock and Stu Payton, came and helped carry the geese.

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
With Stephanie Hitchcock
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig ringing a Canada Goose, Chew Valley Lake
With Stephanie Hitchcock
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Chris Craig, Chew Valley Lake
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 

Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday in June 2015 - Week 4

30 Days wild - A Wildlife Trusts initiative for June 2015

Monday 22 June 2015



30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 22 - Walking in Compton Woods after school and smelling the wild garlic and flowers. I am really lucky to have such beautiful woods just at the top of my lane.

Flowers on a Hawthorn, Compton Woods, Compton Martin, Bristol
Photograph taken and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig 

Tuesday 23 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 23 - Watching a Pond Skater on my garden wildlife pond


Today after school as I walked home, I stopped and had a look on my pond to see what I could see. As well as damselfly mating, there were a load of Pond Skater on the pond with one or two close enough for me to take a photo with my I-phone.

Pond Skater on wildlife pond, Compton Martin, Bristol
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Wildlife pond, Compton Martin, Bristol

Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Wednesday 24 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 24 - Today after school, on my way home, I stopped off and went into the field opposite out house. This is the same field that I went into earlier in the month, enjoyed the scenery in a wildflower meadow and danced in an isolated spot. 

However, since then the grass and flowers had been cut short and taken away by a farmer.  I went into the field to see what had changed with the grass cut.

Set aside in the field opposite our house, looking back towards it, Compton Martin, Bristol
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig 

I was really pleased to see that this year the farmer had left a set aside all around the field.  He normally leaves a section at the top, as it is steep and so he can't safely get his machinery up there. This year he had left a small section all around the field.

I walked to the top of the field and enjoyed watching the long grassy wildflower set aside alive with bees, butterflies and insects.  It was beautiful to see and feel.

                                   Set aside in the field opposite our house, Compton Martin, Bristol

                                        Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Imagine what Compton Martin would look like if rewilding was applied here and the fields were not cut at all and cows and sheep were not brought into the village, impacting on rights of way and our surroundings.  Imagine natural wildflower meadows the whole summer.  I wonder how much our village farmer earns for hay and grazing in any year? Would he let it rewild if we paid him to leave it as wildflower meadows?  Or would he be too worried that rewilding his fields would mean that they could never be built on?

Our fields go from the road to the woods, wouldn't it be amazing if this corridor was as nature intended it?  Tell me what you think by leaving a comment.

Set aside in the field opposite our house, Compton Martin, Bristol
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Thursday 25 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 25 - Today I went for a walk up our lane and recorded a Chiffchaff singing loudly.  It is truly lovely to hear 

http://bit.ly/1eM1vxK

We used to have some decent recording gear, but it got stolen on the way home from Australia.  I would have liked to have recorded a dawn chorus but mid week is a bit optimistic for that!

Friday 26 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 26 - Today I took my Scout group to the Mendips to look for Nightjar.  It was amazing to watch the group so excited at just hearing a bird churring.

Most of my Scout group don't know anything about birds and so I think it is really important to try and get them interested.  

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig with Scouts looking for Nightjar, Stockhill, Somerset

Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Saturday 27 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 27 - Going to the Festival of Nature in Bath

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at The Festival of Nature, Bath
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig at The Festival of Nature, Bath
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

There were a lot less stands than at the Bristol Festival but it was lovely to catch up with people.  I had a long chat with Matt Collis from the Avon Wildlife Trust about Camp Avalon. 

We found out about Bee Lines (Bee Corridors) as Dad is now on the Parish Council in Compton Martin and wanted to do what he could to help create Bee Corridors through our parish.

It was lovely to speak to the Greenpeace and Badger Group people again, they are my friends now and I always feel inspired when I talk to them.

I also found out about Splatter Spotter based at Cardiff University, who want everyone to let them know about any roadkill they see.   If you see anything, let them know about it @projectsplatter or www.projectsplatter.co.uk but if you see an otter or bird of prey, then they need the body to do an autopsy. They said I could watch an otter autopsy which would be sad but cool.  

Notify Splatter Spotter of any roadkill you see

I also learnt more about things not to put down the toilet/sink and was given a gunk pot to collect cooking oil into, cool it down and then make a fat ball for the birds.

Always collect your kitchen oil, cool it and dispose of it in the bin (not in the sink)

Sunday 28 June 2015

30 Days Wild - Doing something wild everyday

Day 28 - Hudsonian Whimbrel,  British and World lifer

Today we had planned a twitch.  There had been a Hudsonian Whimbrel 2-3 hours away in Pagham Harbour on the South Coast.  I hadn't been able to go as I'd been at Camp Avalon last weekend and at the Festival of Nature in Bristol the weekend before, trying publicise the camp.

We had been at the Festival of Nature Bath yesterday talking to people about conservation issues before I had a tap dance exam rehearsal, which I couldn't miss.

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig
Phototograph taken and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig
Phototograph taken and copyright Helena Craig

When we arrived, there were no other birders there, so we set aside trying to find the bird.  The first whimbrel we saw had a strong head pattern.  We were sure it was the right bird but weren't sure for another 1/2 hour when it flew and we could see that it didn't have a white rump like our Eurasian Whimbrel buy a Brown one like this bird that comes from North America.

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Pagham Harbour, Hampshire
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig
Phototograph taken and copyright Helena Craig

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Pagham Harbour, Hampshire
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Pagham Harbour, Hampshire

Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

It was a special bird for me.  The Sunday before I was born, on turned up in Newport, less than a hour from our house. By some miracle, Mum agreed to stay behind and Dad twitched it with my big sister Ayesha who was twelve at the time.  Then, two years later the same bird turned up there again and this time Mum and Dad twitched it with me as a toddler.  It's good to see this bird that I have already seen but was "too young to tick".

This bird takes my British list to 449.  I am now on the same as Ayesha, who has been stuck on 449 since she had her second baby.  Maybe I still have a chance at Lady Amhurst's Pheasant or Cory's Shearwater before we head off birding to East Africa (Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya) on the 18th July 2015 and might sneak ahead of her and finally hit 450.

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 

Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter