birdgirl: Somerset Photograph taken by and copyright Young birder

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Tuesday, 30 June 2015

Camp Avalon - The review and planning for 8/9/10 July 2016

Camp Avalon - A camp for young birders and inner city teenagers

Young Birder birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig filling bird feeders for Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Wildlife sighted on Camp Avalon

As compiled by Thomas Weston - let me know if anything is missing

Young Birder birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig, Thomas Weston and Daniel Burrows, Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Birds

1. Mute swan

2. Greylag Goose

3. Canada Goose

4. Pochard

5. Tufted Duck

6. Mallard

7. Gadwall

8. Shoveler

9. Moorhen

10. Coot

11. Little Grebe

12. Great Crested Grebe

13. Cormorant

14. Grey Heron

15. Great White Egret

16. Little Egret

17. Bittern

18. Sparrowhawk

19. Kestrel

20. Buzzard

21. Marsh Harrier

22. Hobby

23. Black-tailed Godwit

24. Lapwing

25. Black-headed Gull

26. Herring Gull

27. Lesser Black-backed Gull

28. Common Tern

29. Wood Pigeon

30. Kingfisher

31. Nightjar

32. Cuckoo

33. Swift

34. Swallow

35. House Martin

36. Great Spotted Woodpecker

37. Pied Wagtail

38. Robin

39. Blackbird

40. Song Thrush

41. Dunnock

42. Great Tit

43. Blue Tit

44. Long tailed Tit

45. Bearded Tit

46. Blackcap

47. Chiffchaff

48. Reed Warbler

49. Cetti’s Warbler

50. Whitethroat

51. Wren

52. Greenfinch

53. Chaffinch

54. Goldfinch

55. Magpie

56. Carrion Crow

57. Jackdaw

58. Starling

59. House sparrow

60. Linnet

61. Bull Finch

62. Reed Bunting

Other species

• Black-tailed Skimmer

• Four-spotted Chaser

• Emperor Dragonfly

• Blue-tailed Damselfly

• Common Blue Damselfly

• Small Tortoiseshell

• Red Admiral

• Speckled Wood

• Small White

• Large White

• Meadow Brown

• Common Blue

• Roe Deer

• Marsh Frog

• Hornet

• Tree Bee

• Badger

Camp Avalon - 8/9/10 July 2016

We learnt a lot from Camp Avalon 2015 that will make 2016 better and easier for the organisers.

Chris Craig, Young Birder birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig, Mike Bailey from CVRS, Camp Avalon
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

We realised that we need the following help:

Experienced people to put up and take down the tents;

Help ferrying inner city young people and a parent between Bristol and the camp site and then between sites;

Two people to cook and wash up;

People with experience of working with inner city/ethnic minority teenagers, as without that experience it was hard to fully engage them;

People to help throughout the sessions (hopefully a few NGB) and will need to ensure that they are CRB checked;

For 2016 we need to:

Raise money to provide grants to lower income young people and to pay expenses to people who come to help;

Try and get donations of tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses and loans of cameras.

If you can help in any way, please get in touch campavalonuk@gmail.com.

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 12 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

Camp Avalon - Sunday 21 June 2015

Camp Avalon - A camp for young birders and inner city teenagers

Today we all woke up feeling tired. I like all the other young birders I suspect woke up, pulled our clothes on and maybe brushed our teeth.

The boys from the city were insistent that they felt 'dirty' and could not go anywhere without having a shower. Really? Yes, really. 20 minutes later they re-appeared scrubbed and gelled. There is nothing wrong with cleanliness even on camp.

Everyone took down their tents and headed to the Avalon Marshes Centre for breakfast and a ringing demonstration given by me, my dad Chris Craig and my trainer Mike Bailey from Chew Valley Ringing Centre. Everyone seemed interested, although one of the loudest boys from Bristol was afraid of holding a bird but did overcome his fear and have a go at holding a few in the end.

Mike then gave us all a talk about ringing and the BTO.

A Camp Avalon attendee holding a Goldfinch, Avalon Marshes Centre, Somerset
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

I had put my camera trap up the night before, we there seemed to be tracks on the grass. I had put lots of food down to attract birds and animals. So in the morning, we got everyone together and played the recording and it was really exciting to see four badgers feeding on the peanuts. We were all buzzing after watching that and it was a real highlight of the weekend.

The boys from Bristol were especially tired today and ready to home, whilst the remaining young birders were desperate to get what they could from the day. Most people had to leave by lunchtime but there were four of us left for the afternoon sessions.

After lunch, I gave a short talk about world birding, saving the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and World Shorebirds Day as their Ambassador. We then had a quick review of the weekend before going out on a bird ID session on Shapwick Heath with Keith Vinicombe. There were no waders to look at but Keith was full of ID information and bird stories.

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig and Camp Avalon Attendees, Shapwick Heath, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig, Keith Vinicombe and Camp Avalon Attendees, Shapwick Heath, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Helena Craig

Camp Avalon Attendees, Shapwick Heath, Somerset
Photograph taken by and copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

It had been the best weekend ever, making lots of friends my own age, but I was exhausted.

Next year, Camp Avalon is on 8/9/10 July 2016 and I hope to make it bigger and better. Next Generation Birders have said they would like to get involved and I hope other organisations will get involved too. If you would like to come, whether you are already into birds or not, e-mail me at campavalonuk@gmail.co.uk.

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig

Camp Avalon - Saturday 20 June 2015

Camp Avalon - A camp for young birders and inner city teenagers

Saturday morning was the first full day if the camp. Mum started waking us all up at 6.30 pm but needless to say we didn't jump up. Mum got up, sorted cereal and hot water for tea and coffee. By 7 am we were all up, silently sitting eating our breakfast. We were meant to be meeting Somerset birders Julian Thomas and Chris Griffin at Ham Wall Car Park at 7.30 am but ended up being 20 minutes late. Fortunately, they seemed to understand.

We had a great walk seeing some local specialties like Great White Egret in perfect weather. All the young birders were immediately engaged and loving it. I wasn't sure what would happen with the others, but sure enough Chris had them mesmerised when he starting talking about Peregrines flying downwards at a faster speed than a F1 car.

Mum took two boys who were keen to see the Bio Blitz's mammal traps opened and who were incredibly disappointed when nothing was caught. It was the fact that they were interested that mattered.

Camp Avalon Attendees
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Back at the centre, Andy Mears gave a talk on world birding and conservation, Brian Gibbs the Somerset Recorder gave a talk on keeping notes and submitting records before we had a photography workshop run by Chris, Brian and James Packer and a sketching workshop run by John Gale.

A Camp Avalon Attendee
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

A Camp Avalon Attendee
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

A sketch by one of the boys from the City
Photograph taken by Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

We all finished on a high and returned to the campsite to cook and eat dinner. Thanks to the help Mum got, our meal of Jacket potatoes, super noodles. baked banana and pancakes miraculously were ready at the same time.

Two boys were allowed to stay back at the camp, after they had spoken to their mums, whilst we went looking for Nightjar on the Mendips. It was a little breezy and so only a few people saw them but when we arrived back at the camp, all the washing up had been done with everything put away. Mum was so grateful!

Tonight, we were all asleep by 11.30 pm. The camp site was full as it was the summer solstice and most other people were up at 2 am to walk up Glastonbury Tor for dawn.

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig