Big Garden Birdwatch

It's the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch today and tomorrow! We don't have much of a garden ourselves and can't see it from any of our windows. So we decided to go to Inverleith Park and The Royal Botanic Gardens to record our birds there. The biggest birds we saw were mute swans (though we also saw two grey herons up a tree!). This swan was particularly co-operative.

I was particularly pleased to see siskins in the Botanics, they're such a lovely species, the male is very handsome. We didn't get any photos of the siskins or any of the other smaller birds. This squirrel though was eager to pose.
As ever, text in red contains hyperlinks which take you to other websites where you can find out more.

And the winners are....

John Muir Way, Musselburgh

Not having a trained rabbit to pick out names from a hat, I asked Crafty Green Boyfriend to pick the winners of the recent giveaway. So, the winners of the kits for making fat cakes for garden birds are:

Michelle May of Raspberry Rabbits

Deb G of bee creative

Bunnits of Art in the Wind

Christina of Rabid Tidbits

madhat of madhat's musings

Magyar of Magyar Haiku

The human of Little Fluffy Adventures

EG Wow of East Gwillimbury WOW (Daily Photo)

and Facebook friends Emma and Jane.

I've contacted all the winners for their addresses, which I will pass on to Yorkshire Water who will then send out the prizes directly.

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to Yorkshire Water for donating the prizes! If you are a winner, I would be interested in hearing how your birds enjoy the fat cakes!

Cleaning up the Mess

I had a chilly walk around Cramond, at the mouth of the River Almond today. The light was stunning and there were loads of oystercatchers around and some other birds too (though not as many as usual).

It was quite littered in places, so I'm glad to know that Cramond is one of the locations in the Marine Conservation Society Beachwatch clean ups this weekend (28 January). They're encouraging people to join in to clean up the mess that is often found on many of our beaches. Joining in is not only a great way to do your bit for conservation but is great exercise and generally a very sociable experience! You can find your nearest event here.


You can also sign up now for the Keep Scotland Beautiful annual Spring Clean campaign. Choose a day between 1 April and 31 May, get together with some friends and set out to clean up the litter in a place near you!


The Water of Leith Conservation Trust is always on the look out for volunteers to help with their annual clean-ups (and with many other tasks!) - you can find out more here.


Meanwhile, a reminder that there is still time to enter the recent giveaway to win kits for making fat cakes for your garden birds. You just need to comment on this post! I'll choose the winners later today! Thanks to Yorkshire Water for providing the prizes!

As ever, text in red contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson

This novel published in 1998 is set in an imagined Antarctica of the early twenty-first century

There is an odd feeling of reading about a future that isn't quite the future but nor is it the present that it's somehow supposed to be. Other than that though, this is an excellent piece of speculative fiction - gripping and meticulously researched (Robinson spent time in Antarctica as part of the US Antarctic Program's Artist and Writer Program).

This is an Antarctica fought over by African oil companies and eco terrorists while scientists continue their studies and an international group of 'ferals' try to develop an indigenous way of life on the continent. Meanwhile Val leads groups of tourists on extreme adventures, recreating the journeys of the original polar explorers. Stories of these explorers intercut the narrative in a very effective manner, giving the reader a sense of the real history of the continent.

The narrative is very intense in places, there are long passages outlining scientific experiments, political manoeverings and an expedition that Val leads, which doesn't go to plan.

The technology is worked into the narrative really well, wristwatch computers, recordings a trek participant makes for TV-masks and the intelligent fabrics that everyone's clothes are made from. Similarly the ideas around the ferals' construction of a potentially permanent way of life are well explored.

It's a compelling read and one that makes the reader think deeply about the future of the world's last great wilderness. And as this month marks the centenary of Scott's failed expedition to reach the South Pole, what better time to read this book?

Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson published by Voyager

I reviewed this book for Brighton Blogger's 2012 Reading Challenge. I also reviewed The Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman by Friedrich Christian Delius.

Green Ways to Unblock Drains

I posted recently about Yorkshire Water's Doing the Dirty Campaign. Just a reminder that there's still time to enter the giveaway for kits to make fat cakes for your garden birds! I'll be choosing winners on Thursday!

If you are very careful with your waste, you may still end up with blocked drains or a blocked toilet. There are a number of environmentally friendly ways that you can fix the problem yourself including: using a plunger or a mop (scroll down a bit to More Top Tips) to unblock a toilet or using vinegar or baking soda (or a mixture of both) to unblock sinks or toilets. Any of these methods can work in clearing minor bockages and save you the expense of calling out a plumber. If they don't work though, there may be a more major problem with your piping and then you should call out a professional!

As ever, text in red contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

Goldcrests and Citrus Fiesta

It's a beautiful clear but chilly day today. Just got back from a lovely walk along the Water of Leith. The highlight was definitely the goldcrest that flew round our heads at the end of the walk. Recently I've seen many more of these tiny birds than I used to do, they seem to be spending more time in the lower branches than normal. Or perhaps there are more of them? Always a delight to see.

Meanwhile I'm delighted to have two poems up on Gabrielle Bryden's blog as part of her Citrus Fiesta. You can read them here.

haiku

herring gulls call -
the changing colours
of sunrise