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dansnaturepictures · 3 years

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My 10 wildlife/photography highlights of 2020 posts: Blog 2-Seeing some of my favourite birds this year-Part 1: A general look

As always in these thread of posts I shall now take a look back over times that stood out when seeing some of my 30 favourite birds this year. This highlights blog comes in two parts this year due to length, with part 1 tonight and part 2 tomorrow. This one a general look and the second part a detailed look into some favourite birds I saw very close to home at Lakeside and around the house whilst working from home in response to the pandemic. The number of favourite birds I have increased from 28 to 30 as I added two species that were previously on my B list of favourite birds the Short-eared Owl and Great White Egret. I saw 24 of the 30 this year which I was really happy with as with the pandemic etc. a lot of them it just didn’t look possible I’d see and for the other six it was either really rare/elusive ones or I just didn’t go anywhere where I could see one. I got off to a great start for favourite birds of mine in 2020 as I mentioned in my highlights blog yesterday over the opening days off I had of the year. Five of the year ticks I got on New Year’s Day were highlighted in red on my spreadsheet for my year list to denote they are favourite birds of mine, Great Crested Grebe a fitting first favourite bird of the year for me and not for the first time over Lakeside on the walk it would perhaps as I mention in tomorrow’s part of this post have the biggest role of all my favourite birds this year at Lakeside. I took the first picture in this photoset of one at Hayling Island in March. I then saw Buzzard and Little Egret on the way to Portland from the car on New Year’s Day on the motorway in Hampshire and as I said yesterday got spectacular Gannet and Short-eared Owl views there. The first three species were actually consecutive year ticks on my chronologically ordered list so this made it look distinctive on the list.

It was nice to tick off a good few more of my favourite birds at home on trips over the rest of those opening days, with the owls the last tick of mine on my highest ever New Year’s Day bird haul Brent Goose was the very next at Farlington Marshes on 2nd January, I also saw my first Shelducks of the year there. 3rd January just like New Year’s Day over Lakeside in 2019 was a woodpecker double as I saw my first Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year at Denny Wood in the New Forest and my first Green Woodpecker of 2020 on a quick sunny second Lakeside walk of the year that afternoon. On the way back from Denny Wood I saw my first this year of my other new favourite bird the Great White Egret in a field from the motorway at Broadlands. This year tick the one directly before Green Woodpecker so another double. Pochard and Jay were year ticks the next day at Blashford Lakes. I enjoyed some great times seeing these birds.

It has been a strong year for me for seeing Great Spotted Woodpeckers, I’ve seen many and its often been the bird to pop up when I’ve seen or photographed something else memorable to make it into a truly special day. Examples of when this has happened have been along the Titchfield Canal path on that classic day seeing Barn Owls, Fox and Roe Deers that I mentioned last night where I saw one fly over and at Blashford Lakes where I first fell for these birds on more than one occasion. I took the second picture in this photoset of one here on 1st March. It’s really reminded me why I adore this species with its striking appearance, sound and colours and the aura around it.

Back to the first days of the year and like last year on the way to Gloucestershire for Slimbridge for my birthday we stopped off at Red Kite stronghold Oxfordshire, having a look at some at Benson and like last year Watlington on the way there and back home. Especially on the way and particularly at Benson we enjoyed phenomenal views of this iconic and precious species. At Benson we saw dozens flying in the air at a time over a lane and some flew over very closely. Even though it was against grey skies it proved a perfect chance to test the flying shot ability I was unsure of on my new camera to begin this trip away. I took pictures I was so proud of including the third of mine in this photoset and most importantly enjoyed an exceptional wildlife experience with one of our greatest birds. It topped the same stop off last year. Red Kites continued to be more and more common at home building on last year where I noted this a lot as I saw some on the way to work from the train and during working days in Winchester quite often which was great, as well as a few at home which I talk about in part 2 of this highlights post tomorrow. I got a great view of a Red Kite flying low over our head at Noar Hill in mid-May which I took the fourth picture in this photoset of. At and on the way on the motorway to Fleet Pond I got great views of Red Kite and Buzzard on 27th September. At Slimbridge I took the fifth of one of the stars of the place a lovely Shelduck.

When back home and back to work in January attention of course turned to another of my favourite birds of prey the Peregrine Falcon, particularly Winnie and Chester the Winchester pair. I picked up where I left off in 2019 really what had been an amazing year for them seeing the adults and chicks so many times and taking so many photos on days I took my spare bridge camera to work with me. I got Peregrine as a year tick on 9th January with a view of one on the north tower at Winchester Cathedral. I then continued to monthly or twice monthly bring my bridge camera to work to try for pictures of these beautiful birds as they continued to fly between the cathedral and St. Thomas Church. In February I photographed both birds at both locations during the course of the month which felt fantastic, I took the sixth picture in this photoset during my February cathedral with-camera-visit. In April this picture and one I took of a hyacinth in the cathedral grounds taken in March both appeared in the Hampshire Chronicle newspaper in the camera club section a proud moment for me and this Peregrine picture appeared with an article they did on the family too. I got so many of my wildlife, landscape and minority subject pictures in the chronicle this year especially local ones whilst working at home which really stood out I loved putting my pictures on Facebook groups this year during lockdown and working from home. My photos of the Peregrines seemed to get better and better if I say so myself and I could just not get enough of seeing these birds. It sort of began to feel normal seeing them up until I had to work from home which brought other benefits a key theme in all of these highlights blogs but as I remarked when watching them at St. Thomas in February it sort of still feels surreal to be seeing this bird fairly close up at times and just so easily see one. I got stunning views of these birds regularly across this year again.

In February also it was ramping up towards their breeding season with the webcam being switched back on with a second camera this year too making their journey so accessible at more than one angle to all and by March eggs were laid. I found myself feeling the same feelings as last year when I first started to observe these birds around that time and I could look on the webcam before I left the office each lunch to see if they were about then go and see them. So it made me feel good in terms of my connections with these birds. When I was working from home due to the Coronavirus in late April I was thrilled to get little glimpses on the webcams on the cathedral website of the very little chicks as the eggs began hatching. Such an amazing moment. I was a lot more on the ball with reading updates this year than last of knowing when the chicks would hatch, hence I enjoyed seeing the eventual five chicks on the webcam in their early stages a lot more with great views of them being fed and things. As all five fledged successfully a big theme for me became watching them and Peregrine families from other local cities’ cathedrals a great thing to do whilst working from home which a lot of people did too in these isolating times. On 10th August I got a precious chance to go and watch the Peregrines again when I had to go into the office for a morning. My Mum dropped me off and picked me up at Winchester and during my lunch break I saw a noisy Peregrine fly over St. Thomas Church where I spoke at a safe social distance to a kind person about them, one flying at the cathedral and one adult on the Winchester Cathedral north ledge which looked fantastic in the sun of a summer’s day during a heatwave. It felt surreal being back seeing and photographing one with my bridge camera here after five months away whilst it was a one-off thing. Seeing them in the flesh and indeed just seeing Peregrines I didn’t see one on walks at any stages of the restrictions in between elsewhere I don’t think felt quite surreal. It did give me a valuable chance to connect with this bird once more, a chance to reminisce on my times with the families in previous years and the successful year for them this year again with the five chicks fledged unusual for the species I learned to fledge that many and it was bringing something I do so much whilst working in the office at lunch breaks at Winchester into what the days in my life were like at that time which was very different. A very warm and satisfying feeling being so in aw of them and watching one I could not take my eyes off it when there. I also got fantastic views of a Peregrine flying at Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve again the Lymington end towards the start of the year where I had seen one on Christmas Day 2019 and I saw one there in October.

Winchester really confirmed itself as the raptor haven I’ve portrayed it as this year with one of my non-favourites Sparrowhawk a regular sighting for me here but also great Buzzard views often with quite a few in the sky at times. A great chance to enjoy a bird that’s been one of my favourites for a long time as I have at a lot of places this year. I enjoyed Buzzards immediately locally in lockdown a lot as I mention loads in my next highlights post. But on days we did other local walks in lockdown it was nice to appreciate different common members of my list of favourite birds and get excited to see and hear them a lot. Notable instances seeing Little Egrets and Red Kite flying over at the river Itchen, Bishopstoke, many Jays and a Great Spotted Woodpecker heard at Stoke Park Wood and another Jay and a few Buzzards flying over at Magdalen Hill after I’d seen two of the latter at home that morning also. Shelduck alongside favourite birds of mine I’d more regularly seen seeing during lockdown Great Crested Grebe and Little Egret was a delight to see at Lymington on 23rd May when we did our first trip there and to the sea in just over two months as I took pleasure and had a surreal feeling at seeing common species of that habitat which I hadn’t seen for months so this felt great. When at Pennington a couple of weeks later it was lovely to see Shelducks with adorable ducklings among many other baby birds that day as well as many Little Egrets and Great Crested Grebe. When back at Pennington in early September I very much enjoyed seeing older young Shelducks, Little Egrets with a few flying right by us which was nice and it was almost weird seeing Great Crested Grebes on the sea somewhere other than Lakeside with my journey with them there this year detailed in my next highlights post.

On a January day at the Lymington end of the Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve I marvelled at Kingfishers again with some great views as they were a year tick that day for a third year running here. A memorable time again. I’ve also had such a good year for Brent Geese another speciality bird here with many seen and heard at different locations. One weekend that sticks in the mind is a February one where I saw lots and photographed some at Hayling Island on the Saturday and then I saw many more and photographed one at Pennington on the Sunday the seventh picture in this photoset. When seeing Brent Geese at Farlington Marshes in early October at the point in the reserve I had my first amazing experience as a boy with them when hundreds flew over my head noisily I reflected on why this made me fall in love with them. Farlington Marshes as I’ve said so often is one of if not the best place in the country for Brent Geese there are so many around in the season and it’s so good for them. I read a bit that day about how important the Brent Geese are to the local area as their presence has stopped a lot of development proposals in Portsmouth over the year including Portsmouth Football Club’s desire to leave their Fratton Park home to build a new stadium at a site at Farlington near to the marshes. Which we could have a huge debate about but there is no denying this is helping the environment. So it reminded me something I am passionate about just what a special place this reserve is and what a special bird this really is in Hampshire as a whole. That October afternoon was a special one for favourite birds of mine at Farlington with Shelduck seen well and lots and lots of Little Egrets, Great Crested and four Buzzards one on a light three flying together seen on the M27 on the journey there. It was also a memorable goose day as I enjoyed close views of the odd Barnacle and Snow Goose that goes to Farlington that I had seen before here and at Baffins Pond where they fly between really intimate views that day and I got pictures. On 31st October I enjoyed seeing lots of lovely Brent Geese at Lymington there in numbers by that point as well as Great Crested Grebes out to sea and great Little Egret views I took a photo of one of the latter.

On a daily exercising walk on 2nd May I made it a tenth spring in a row that I’ve heard a Cuckoo in since I saw my first in 2011 when I heard a faint one calling at Bentley Wood which was magical as always. Hearing one of these birds is almost as good as seeing one especially my first in a spring it’s that exciting and amazing it’s the sound of spring for me. I heard Cuckoos really well on a visit to Martin Down in mid-May when restrictions had lifted a little so we could go there it was nice pure belts of it to hear very clearly it does feel me with such joy hearing it. That day I got smashing Buzzard views too of one at the reserve, one flying along the lane as we exited and two closely on posts on the way back. When back in late July I got a brilliant view of a wet Buzzard on a rainy day on a pylon on the way home. The next day after that I got a nice view of a Buzzard flying over at Stockbridge Down. I was so happy to see my first Cuckoo of 2020 and make it my fourth consecutive year seeing them at stronghold for them Fritham in the New Forest where we were very lucky to see two and hear the call again throughout the walk on a nice sunny and hot second May bank holiday Sunday. What a top experience! The next day I heard another Cuckoo at Bentley Wood much more clearly the sound was than the last time here, it’s certainly different hearing them after seeing one there’s no pressure of I’ve heard it now I need to see it but it’s just amazing hearing them on their own as I’ve said before anyway. That day I also saw Jay and Buzzard flying through. I got a brilliant view of Buzzard on another visit here the following Saturday a paler looking one over the path against a blue sky. Cuckoo, Buzzard and Jay were stars of another Martin Down visit to close May, hearing the former and seeing Jay at the beginning of a hot and sunny walk. On that walk we got brilliant close Buzzard views flying against a bright blue sky so nice to feel spoiled by this coming so soon after similar at Lakeside again and again in weeks one particular Lakeside Buzzard moment from the spring I mention in part 2 of this blog tomorrow. On 13th September we got as we often do a nice view of a Buzzard on a telegraph pole on the way home from Martin Down. A place that September day when we walked around the reserve we also got some great moments watching Red Kites watching one mobbed by a Jackdaw a lot not a sight I’ve often seen so that was very intriguing to see on a great afternoon of birds.

On 13th June at Common Marsh I got a brief view and then cracking prolonged binocular views as it moved around the reeds of my first Sedge Warbler of the year. I took the eighth picture in this photoset of this bird. I really did see what a beautiful, well-marked and striking bird it is that day and it reminded me why I love it. A key moment in one of my best general and packed Saturdays this year where at Stockbridge Down where we went first we saw two Buzzards and Red Kite and Little Egret seen at Common Marsh as part of an impressive array of birds by the river. I had a quite honestly rare in years for me now second encounter with a Sedge Warbler on a scorching Saturday 8th August at Farlington Marshes getting a great view of one in and around the reedbeds. It felt amazing. I also saw a Buzzard sat on a post for our whole walk that day as well as Little Egret and Shelducks including young on a generally brilliant day of birdwatching with many other top species seen too. On 18th July whilst dog sitting I took Missy on a walk at Fleming Park in Eastleigh I’d not been for years over the old golf course. I knew from when we used to go there loads that it’s good for Green Woodpeckers and sure enough I got two great views of them on this walk really brilliant to see I enjoyed it on a generally great local Saturday of wildlife and photos for me so much seen and so many taken a very hot and sunny day a true part of summer, it was a brilliant welcome back to the old golf course area of the park for me. On 1st August at Emer Bog and Baddesley Common nature reserve it was great to hear a Buzzard calling closely a lot and see a Jay a memorable afternoon generally for me. I saw another Buzzard really well the next day at Magdalen Hill flying over my head which was fantastic not for the first time at this near to Winchester reserve this year with Kestrels seen well that day also as they often can be there.

‪On 16th August at Hayling Island oysterbeds we were treated to glorious views of two young Buzzards flying around and in trees. They looked so creamy and lovely in plumage. Their wingspans looked massive as they flew over it really was quite a sight to behold and I loved seeming them in the sunshine. Quite a moment. That day I also saw Great Crested Grebes out to sea and a Great Spotted Woodpecker during rain at Earnley Triangle on Hayling Island where we went first.

I had a great August bank holiday Sunday walk at Thursley Common in Surrey seeing a few Dartford Warblers near to the car park in an area here we never had before possibly relocated from the area we see loads behind the lakes on the heath that had been badly burnt by the heath fire in the spring so this was encouraging and great. That day on a day Hobby and Kestrel views starred too I liked seeing a Red Kite an ever present here on our visits and the area generally in a glorious weekend of raptors with five species seen and a woodpecker double with great particularly flying views of Green and Great Spotted making out their lovely markings I heard the or a green nicely too. I saw another Dartford Warbler very well at Ashley Walk in the New Forest on 17th October on a generally brilliant afternoon I wrote more about that in my third of these posts going out next Thursday about my visits to the New Forest this year I saw a Buzzard well that day too.

I wrote about experiences with more of and some I’ve mentioned here and part 2 of this blog already my favourite birds a lot in my fifth of these posts about my week off in June, when I saw my first Dartford Warbler of the year at Arne and another at Thursley Common, my first Guillemot, Razorbill and Fulmar of the year at Durlston and then again at Portland the next I took the ninth picture in this photoset of a Fulmar from the cliff flying that day and my first Osprey of 2020 at Fishlake Meadows. In my seventh of these posts about my autumn some get a mention. In my eighth of these posts about visiting Devon and Cornwall for a weekend in August I wrote about seeing my first Dipper of the year at Fingle Bridge and first Choughs of the year at Cape Cornwall and Botallack, and some favourite birds of mine get a mention in my ninth of these posts about our week in Norfolk too where at the nature reserve Sculthorpe Moor I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of a Kingfisher. In my bonus eleventh highlights post this year about my November and December I also wrote about favourite birds of mine.

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vips-clicks · 4 years

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Eurasian Kestrel, Common Kestrel - Habitat & Behaviour The Common Kestrel is a small falcon. The world’s rarest species of kestrel lives on Mauritius, where it has come perilously close to extinction. There were just eight birds left in the wild 30 years ago, but the number is now close to 1,000. Kestrels have remarkably keen eyesight even in extremely poor light, allowing them to hunt almost until dark. kestrels feed almost exclusively on small rodents, but those living in towns will take sparrows instead. Though rodents may be the principal diet, they will also take a wide variety of other prey, including lizards, earthworms, large insects and even bats. Kestrels hunt from static perches and by hovering: the latter is far more productive but uses lots of energy, which is why they hunt mainly from perches during the winter It does not build a nest of it's own. Breeds in cliffs, buildings or in trees in nests of other birds like crows. Nestboxes are often taken. Also breeds high in mountains. I Kestrels aren’t as big as they look. An adult weighs on average a mere 220gm, less than half the weight of a red-legged partridge. Our kestrel is one of a large group of similar species, found throughout much of the world, but it has the largest range, breeding through much of Europe, Africa and Asia. Breeding kestrels like to use old crows’ nests, but they will also use holes in trees, nest boxes and cliff ledges. Most kestrel nest failures occur during incubation; if eggs hatch, then it is most likely that some of the young will fledge. Predators of Common Kestrels include northern goshawks, peregrine falcons, sparrowhawks, eagle owls and tawny owls. #madhyapradesh #mptourism #raptor #kestrel #raptors #migration #birds #madhyapradesh #mptourism #raptors #birds #birdsofparadise #birdsofprey #birdsofinstagram #birdsofindia #birdsofig #birdshots#bestbirds #cmscop13india (at VIPs_Clicks) https://www.instagram.com/p/B86ZgdHgIea/?igshid=1stztt3lecmet

#madhyapradesh #mptourism #raptor #kestrel #raptors #migration #birds #birdsofparadise #birdsofprey #birdsofinstagram #birdsofindia #birdsofig #birdshots #bestbirds #cmscop13india

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shapeshiftingmenace · 4 years

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Original Species: Malu!

Species Name: Malum ( Pronounced Mal-oom; plural - malu, pronounced mal-oo)

Size: Depends; outside of the digital world they don’t usually get bigger than an average human; females are smaller than males, and gender-neutral malu are generally larger than females but smaller than males. Females can shrink to fit an outside nesting area (e.g. a hollowed-out tree)

-Live in the digital world as viruses, usually in groups (tribes) of up to 20 malu. They’ve been around for a while, before technology came around even; before, they were more like poltergeists, but once technology came around, they realized they could live in it safely as long as they didn’t cause trouble; they don’t need to live in the digital world, it’s just where they’re safest

-They can leave the digital world, but they’re still not something you want around; they wreak havoc anywhere they go (although you’ll obviously have some nice, friendly ones in each tribe). They don’t eat in the digital world, so they leave their device to find food.

-Generally only one tribe lives in a device

-Malu usually speak the language of whatever device they’re in. For example, a tribe who lives in a person’s computer whose first language is French would speak French.

-Malu can NOT jump between devices. For example, if a tribe of malu lives in my tablet, they can’t move to my friend’s computer. If they’ve been kicked out by an antivirus, however, they can move to another device.

-Malu aren’t always acting like viruses. Sometimes they’ll be more civilised.

-If the owner of a device gets an antivirus software, the malu that live in the device only get kicked out (they don't die), and only if they’re acting like a virus.

-Young are born blind and without teeth, besides their fangs. These are there to help them break the shells of their eggs.

APPEARANCE

-The most common malum tail is short and fluffy like a rabbit’s. These ones have extremely bad balance. Malu can also have a dragon-like tail (long with fluff at the end), a cat-like tail (with any fur length), or a raptor tail (usually these are furry, they just keep a raptor shape),

-Canon malu are almost always brightly colored; dully coloured ones are extremely rare

-Malu’s muzzles are generally shaped like a big cat’s. Their tooth layout is also like a big cat’s.

-Anthropomorphic malu are usually digitigrade. Yours doesn’t have to be, although it is preferred

-Feral malu have a raptor-like stance (think mochi raptors and manokits)

-Malu reproduce in a similar fashion to cats, and therefore have the same reproductive system cats have

-Malu always have fangs, unless they lose them in a fight

RULES/GUIDELINES

-Brightly colored doesn’t necessarily mean neon everywhere. When I say brightly colored, I mean they have to have a bright color somewhere on their body. For example, you can make yours white, but it must have a bright color, even if it’s just on the ear or toes/fingers. (Bright color basically means unnatural color; pastel colors are permitted)

-Malu CANNOT HAVE WINGS.

-Your malum doesn’t have to follow the canon of the species. If you want, yours doesn’t have to live in a device and doesn’t need to be a member of a tribe. You can make yours dully colored, but if yours is dully colored, it can’t be in the canon of the species.

CULTURE/BEHAVIOR

**While each malum tribe has its own culture, there are parts of their culture that are generally shared with most other tribes.**

-Virus behavior - There are several things in malu culture that qualify as “virus behavior”. Some are required, like reproduction, and others aren’t, like messing with the technology they live in (this can be anything from causing a system shutdown, in which case the tribe would have to temporarily leave the device, to completely messing up the device via hacking; depending on the situation this may force the malu to leave the device permanently).

-The leader male (drake) and a few other males selected by him are the only ones who can mate with the females. Like I said before, reproduction is a virus behavior, and therefore mating is an extremely risky activity.

-Malu have their own calendar and perception of time (not dependent on the calendar and time of their device; they usually base their birthdays and holidays around the seasons). Holidays:

Picnic Fest - Summer-long event in which malum tribes gather in picnic areas and steal from them; yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds. This is the only time multiple tribes gather in the same area

Birthdays - Birthdays are usually celebrated in the middle of the season a malum was born in. For example, if a malum was born in winter, then their birthday would be celebrated in mid-January in the northern hemisphere or mid-July in the southern hemisphere, depending on where they’re at. Spring and summer birthdays are celebrated by stealing from picnics, fall and winter birthdays are celebrated by stealing from restaurants, although this does depend on how the weather is in the area they’re at (in places that don’t usually get snow, they’re more likely to steal from picnics all year round).

Christmas is celebrated in some tribes. Usually the tribe will leave their device in the morning, coming back later in the evening with various things, usually things they’ve stolen for each other. Christmas is celebrated at the beginning of winter, around the same time we celebrate it. This is mainly because that’s when stores are closed, so there isn’t anyone to yell at them. Since females can shrink, they sneak in through openings, then unlock the store for the others, locking it again before they leave.

-Males have manes. These show the order of dominance in a tribe; a malum with a feathered mane would be lower in the ranks than his furry maned counterpart. As males change ranks, their manes change.

-Malu can choose their biological gender. They stay gender-neutral until they’re at the age of reproduction, then choose to either stay gender-neutral or have male or female anatomy (malu that choose to be male then grow manes). Gender-neutral malu have little stubs of horns on their head; these are more for distinguishing them from females than anything. These are also softer than a drake's horns. A malum who chose to be female doesn't have to stay female; she can change her biology to match that of a male or gender-neutral malum. Males and gender-neutral ones can do this as well.

-As a symbol of superiority and dominance, the drake (leader of a tribe) grows horns. These can be any shape, although they’re usually straight and point towards the back of the head. Occasionally, another male might grow smaller horns to challenge the drake.

-Beliefs don’t always match the owner of the device’s beliefs. For example, a tribe might be Jewish, but the owner of the device is Catholic. They also have their own beliefs, although not all tribes believe these beliefs.

Most tribes believe that weather indicates luck. Similar to the cats in the Warriors series, they believe in omens sent by ancestors. Thunderstorms and electric snowstorms are considered good luck, while normal rainstorms and snowstorms are neutral. If it's cloudy, malu usually perceive this as bad luck. Food poisoning from stolen food is an omen of less young during the season. Humans willingly giving them food is a sign of plentiful food and more offspring during the year. Bringing food into the digital world is considered bad luck, which is why they eat specifically OUTSIDE of the device they live in.

-Malu lay eggs; usually the mother leaves the device to lay the eggs (usually two to four in a clutch) in a hollowed out log or tree and stays there until they hatch, about two weeks. Once the eggs hatch, the mother takes the hatchlings into the device with her, becoming extremely protective of them; she won’t even let the father near them until they’re at least four or five weeks old

Bases:

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janaya-belveal · 6 years

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We recently took an eight-day trip to Universal Studios Resort in Orlando, Florida. We took our two kids, ages two and nine. This Trip was amazing and I feel it will be hard to top it on our next adventure. I fell in love with the idea of blogging when we came back from this trip. I loved this trip so much that it was all I thought about for weeks to come after. I contemplated moving to Florida because we loved it so much!

First off, there are plenty of on-site hotels with different styles and price ranges to choose from.

Universal Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel– 4 Star, Starting at $256, Italy themed

Universals Hard Rock Hotel-4 Star, Starting at $244, Rock-Star themed

Universal Lowes Royal Pacific Resort-4 star, Starting $208/night, Tropical-Hawaii themed

Universal Lowes Sapphire Falls Resort-4 star, Starting at $152/night, Island themed

Universals Aventura Hotel-newest Hotel, Starting at $116 Modern style

Universal Cabana Bay Resort– 3 star, Starting at $112/night, Retro style

We stayed at Sapphire Falls and loved it!

However, all of these hotels are beautiful and offer different activities to participate in. Also, if one stays on-site, one may visit any of the other on-site hotels, swim in their pools, tour their spacious grounds or eat at their many restaurants. We went to a luau at Royal Pacifica. The luau made me feel like I was in Hawaii again.

Yes, this is my husband on stage.

The park has a few different ways to travel within Universal Studios. I think boats are the fastest because they glide to two of the theme parks and it runs until 2 am. Themed buses travel between any of the hotels and all three of the theme parks. There is also a walk way along the boat channel if walking is preferred, but we did so much walking all trip we choose not to take this way. I really thought the boats were helpful because the wait isn’t too long even though the lines are, and there are no stops along the way. It is relaxing to ride the boat after a long day of walking around in the hot sun.

Side note: I like to talk to the captain of the boats and find out all their different history’s and why they are doing what they do now. Many of them absolutely love what they do. In fact, Orlando has that feel for me. How could it not, it is beautiful in florida.

The second best thing about staying at these hotels is that we are allowed access into the parks an hour earlier with regular admission park passes. This was nice to use for the busiest attractions.

Now lets talk a little about the parks shall we?

There are three Universal Studio Parks:

Volcano Bay – The Newest water park

Island of Adventure– Jurassic Park, The Incredible Hulk, Harry potter, and much more..

Universal Studios– Main Theme Park, Transformers, Shrek, and The Simpsons to name a few. There is a small parade at 7 p.m.

Bonus: City walk– Free to the public

You can find prices for the tickets here.

For a few dollars extra, you can add onto the experience:

Express passes skip the lines.

Dinner plan add pre-paid meals to the trip. This is only good for the parks and city walk, not the hotels. Includes drinks and snacks. Check the restaurants at City Walk for participation.

Photo package have pictures downloaded to a USB that is put on a lanyard.

VIP Experience tour guide with a host through some of the rides in both the Main Park and Island of Adventure.

First park I want to talk about is Volcano Bay, the newest of the parks. This park has Tapu-tapu for every rider which goes around the wrist like a watch and can virtually check in one line at a time. While waiting for that line, one may go in other lines that have no wait times. One may also lay in the Lazy River or grab a drink from a bar and hang out at Waturi beach while a two-year old is passed out on one’s lap. Tapu-Tapu also connects to a debit card to use it to pay for food or drinks. These watch like device can fall off, so they are password protected before items or food can be charged.

This park has 18 attractions, 4 restaurants, 3 shops, 2 bars and a little ice cream/drink hut at the entrance to the park. The park does have a few kids zones. One is called Runamukka Reef. Get it? (Run a muck) This is a big area for the kids and has lots of secrets that only the tapu-tapu can illuminate. Volcano Bay has clever names for their attractions like ‘Ohyah’ and ‘Ohno‘ drop slides. My favorite ride was the very first one we went on called Honu of the Honu Ika Moana, because it was the scariest of them all being so high up and the drop…oh man. The aqua rollercoaster ride called Krakatau comes in a close second, and it’s fun to say.

At the entrance of the park there is a singing rock that my daughter absolutely loved. So we had to buy the miniature coffee bean plant holder in the shop to remember that silly singing rock. I can still hear him humming his song

The next park I want to talk about is Island of Adventure. This park was awesome, especially the Jurassic Park exhibit. A Raptor is in a broken cage that we were able to take a picture in front of. The staff took a video of us too, which was cool to watch our reactions later.

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Inside the museum and restaurant there is a station where one can turn themselves into a dinosaur. DNA samples are taken front your handprint and they ask you a few things about your favorite dinosaur and whala.. a dino is created.. Is it stable? Come find out.. My daughter was able to name one of the little dino eggs that hatch once an hour in their labs. The staff gave her a certificate of birth and we can come back and check on the little dino whenever we want. We went back two days later to checked on her, the staff was like, ‘uhh… She looks the same’.

DNA samples

NevaehASURUS

Egg Hatchery

waiting…

you can hold them

Checking on baby dino

There is plenty to do at Island of Adventure. Plenty of food, plenty of drinks plenty of snacks, plenty of rides, plenty of shopping, and plenty to do for our two-year old as well. He wasn’t tall enough for some of the rides, which most restrictions are 42 inches. However, the lines for the kiddie rides were really short. We were able to ride them several times before moving onto the next.

We especially like The High in the sky Seuss Trolly Train ride, say that 5 times fast. One Fish, Two Fish water ride is a good one too. This one is on a little pond with water that squirts from the ride onto the riders. Don’t worry, the small child does decide who gets wet.

A Mystical Fountain talks to people passing by right next to the train. Of course, my daughter had to get in on the action, I have to say I was amussed! I posted one of the videos for your entertainment.

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The Hulk is probably the most popular ride in this park. It looks incredibly fun and insainly scary for the thrill riders. I used to be one of those people whom liked these types of rides. Not sense I had my children. I decided living was more important.

Both Universal and Island of Adventure have an amazing Harry Potter section with a Hogwarts train that connects the two parks. Unfortunately, it was raining when we took the train, so everyone wanted to take shelter on it. It’s pretty neat and feels like we are actually apart of the movie. You just have to see it yourselves. It’s pretty amazing.

We wanted to go into the Hogwarts Castle from the movie Harry Potter, but the wait was incredibly long. (I recently watch behind the scenes of this castle and I must say I am truly sad we missed it.. It looks and sounds amazing.) The staff informed us that if we come back before the park closes the line will be way shorter, ya we forgot… Ooopppsss.

Diagon Alley, in the Main park, was hard to find at first, tucked away behind walls in Universal Studios. (Kind of looks like the entrance for the bathrooms). Once we found it and walked in, my jaw dropped. It was so amazing in there. I have to admit that I haven’t seen all of the Harry Potter movie, but this attraction made me want to.

Butter beer, don’t let the name fool you, is non-alcoholic, so we let the kids have some. It’s almost like a root bear float. You won’t get it back though, so might just want to get them their own. Have I mentioned yet, this whole park serves alcohol and beer for the adults?

If you have seen the movies then you know how amazing the detail should be in this area. A little hint before buying a magic want, in Island of Adventure there is a wizard whom can pick out the best wand that fits each person. Actually, he exclaims that the wand picks the person. However, he only picks one person during each cycle, but worth a try because they are expensive and worth it. These wands are in fact magical around this attraction in both the parks. They are able to make things happen. Here take a look for yourselves.

At Universals Main Park, a short parade featuring Dispicible Me and Pets starts at 7 pm local time. I thought the floats were so cute as you can tell by my narriration in my video.

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This park has 15 rides, 31 places to get food and drinks of all sorts, 19 types of shows from the parade to fear factor, and we did most of our souvioneer shopping here as well. Last but not least this park has three amazing kid zones.

Some of the most popular rides here are Dispicible Me-Minion Mayham, Shrek 4D, Transformers 3D, Revenge of The Mummy (our first ride of the trip, also my daughters favorite), Hogwarts express, and Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts to name a few. All of which we experienced.

My favorite would have to be Transformers. I really enjoyed the story that went along with this ride. The wait is a little long but there is so much to see and do while waiting, so it goes by fast.

Shrek was also a favorite. Expecially the meet and great with Fiona, The Donkey and Shrek. All were very funny and they wanted to go swimming with us.

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The Kid areas include

Curious George– Silly monkey turned the whole town upside down. He has water play and inside ball play (really nice to go in the middle of a hot day to cool off and just play with the kiddos.)

Fievel’s Playland-Based off of the movies, lots of rope climbing available here. My daughter loved the mini water coaster.

Barny’s Backyard-A cute inside play area decorated to look like the outdoors. My son expecially liked to play in this area.

I have talked about all three of the parks, Our favorite rides, places to get food and drinks. Now I want to explain a little about City walk.

Citywalk connects Island of Adventure and the Main park. There is music, vendors, entertainers, movie theater, food, bars, and clubs. Some of the most famous restaurants are Bubba Gump, Margarita Ville and Hard Rock Cafe.

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I mentioned earlier the dinner meals are accepted at participating restaurants but many have select meals to choose from. Not the whole menu. So beware of that.

We did add a character breakfast at Universal and the Luau at the hotel. Both were great and the breakfast buffet was wonderful.

The boats and busses drop off their passengers here as well. It’s very busy. A lot of the locals come out at night to hang out here

A few more things I recommend before going. Get a portable fan that sprays water for each person. Bring extra batteries, hat’s, sunscreen, bug spray, water bottles and sunglasses for EVERYONE. If you have young ones, bring a stroller. There are no stores outside of the park that are close enough to walk to, by the way, so come prepared. They do have strollers to rent inside each park. Make sure to locate the first aids as they are scattered throughout.

We wanted to get the most out of our vacation as do most people. I feel it would have been helpful to read a personal experience before hand so I knew what to .

Well I think I have covered all of the topics I wanted to. If you have any questions or anything to add please email me.

Disclosure: All pictures and videos are my own. Prices are subject to change. I did my best to remove all people from my pictures that I don’t know. These opinions are my own. I have no connection with Universal and I am not being paid to write for them.

Thank you for reading.

goodie bags I made for people sitting on the planes around us.

Got our tickets

waiting to board

Universal Studios In Orlando, FLorida We recently took an eight-day trip to Universal Studios Resort in Orlando, Florida. We took our two kids, ages two and nine.

#Childrens Vacation #Harry potter #island of adventure #Orlando Florida #Travel #Universal studios #volcano bay

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werkboileddown · 7 years

Link

Frequently asked questions about the NTU Falcon Project1. How many chicks in total have fledged this site?

This has been a very successful nest site, with 32 chicks fledging successfully in the last seven years. This included four chicks in 2016.

2. Why doesn't the nest box have a roof to it?

A nest box with a roof was trialled many years ago, but the falcons chose to ignore it. Very early on when they first arrived they laid their eggs in the gutter, and consequently these were washed away. This is why we installed the tray-style box we have today.

3. Can I tell whether the falcon is male or female?

The best way to tell the male and female apart is their size. The female is considerably larger than the male – up to a third bigger overall. As well as being smaller, male birds also tend to have a more slender look. Females can often have bolder, more striking markings, and also have longer beaks.

4. There often seems to be one chick who doesn't get fed adequately. Why is this, and can you help?

It is likely that this will be the chick that hatched last, and because of this it will be a couple of days behind its siblings. Fortunately, our parents here in Nottingham are very experienced and have an excellent track record of raising full broods of healthy young. Despite this, if the conditions for the family are difficult, the parents will concentrate their efforts on the largest, healthiest chicks. Sadly we cannot intervene, as doing so would risk making us guilty of an offence under the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, due to the risk of disturbance.

5. Do you keep any records of the pigeon rings discarded in or around the nest?

Yes. Once the falcons have left for the year, the team from NTU clear the nest and any rings found are passed on to Notts Wildlife Trust. They are then logged with the Royal Pigeon Racing Association. You may find this NTU falcons blog entry of interest.

6. Why can't we watch the falcons getting ringed?

Once a year representatives from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust come to the nest and put identification rings on the legs of the chicks. The cameras are turned off because the birds are protected, and in the past people have actually phoned the police to report that chicks are being stolen when they aren't! Also, the ringer would likely obscure the view as they have to stand directly in front of the camera to reach the chicks. We thought it would be better to video and photograph the ringing using different, portable cameras to get the best views possible.

7. What is the process of ringing the falcons at NTU? How long does the process take?

The ringing team waits until the parents are away from the nest and the whole operation is carried out as quickly as possible, often in under ten minutes. Ringing is part of a scientific monitoring programme and is timed to minimise any disturbance. It is very unlikely that a carefully executed ringing operation would cause any risk of the parents abandoning the nest. We would encourage you to watch the video made by NTU and the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust about the ringing of the 2012 chicks.

8. If you can visit the nest for the ringing process, then why can't you intervene if the chicks are struggling?

The decision about whether to intervene when the chicks were struggling is a much wider issue. It is possible that during a difficult period any further stress could lead to the adults abandoning the nest completely. Most importantly, we will not intervene as they are wild birds, and if we removed them from the nest it would be almost impossible to return them to the wild.

9. How can I contribute to protecting these peregrines and other wildlife in Nottingham?

We are now taking donations for this project. All the money raised will split 50:50 between NTU and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. NTU will donate all money raised to birds of prey research projects.

10. If a chick dies, why can't you remove it from the nest?

If we remove chicks from the nest in this way we would almost certainly be guilty of an offence under the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, again due to the risk of disturbance. Once a problem has been observed, the female will very rarely leave the nest – sitting tight and doing her best to keep the chicks warm. Therefore, if we access the nest at a time when the adult birds are under severe stress, we would risk the parents deserting the nest site. In terms of the design and location of the nest itself, the pair have used it very successfully over many years, raising numerous clutches without any real problems with the weather. While we can see both sides of the argument regarding intervening, we feel that as they are wild birds we should let nature take its course. The cameras were initially installed for security, to prevent the nest being attacked. We now have the added privilege of being able to share the ability to observe the family with the general public – even if the viewing can become difficult at times.

11. Since it is not possible for dead chicks to be removed from the nest by human intervention, what is likely to happen to them?

It is likely that the mother will at some point move them out of the nest, but there is also a possibility that she may eat them, and feed them to the surviving chicks.

12. Do peregrines eat their own eggshells?

While eating the shells would make good sense, both in terms of preventing the white interiors of the eggs giving away the location of the nest to predators and as a means of recovering minerals lost in the egg making process, there is nothing to suggest that all female peregrines do this. One expert, Derek Ratcliffe, has suggested in his book that peregrines nibble at the shells to break them up rather than to eat them. All of this research is thanks to Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project.

13. Are our peregrine family a bit speedy, or do raptor eggs usually hatch so close together?

Peregrine chicks tend to hatch over a period of a couple of days.

14. Will the fledged chick return to the site? How far away from the birth site do they usually fly?

Once they have mastered the art of flying, they will probably still be dependent on their parents for food for a little while longer. We think they'll stay within a 60-mile radius.

15. How will the fledged chicks learn to hunt, and when will they leave the parents?

The adults will withhold food items and encourage them to take longer flights. At this time, the adults will drop prey in mid-air for them to catch in a food pass – this activity contributes to bringing about the day when they will become independent. The loosening of ties with the parents is gradual and spread over several weeks, during which time they gradually learn to fend for themselves. The adults will continue to feed them until they disperse naturally. There is no evidence that the adults drive juveniles away – it is likely that they will detach themselves from the parents as instinct dictates.

16. Has any news been heard of chicks from past years?

At times we have noticed that there have been three adult peregrines around the nest, and it's possible the third is a chick from previous years returning. All of the chicks were ringed, but we can't say for certain where they have made their new home – unless we find one with its ring, of course. We are considering using a new monitoring system in the future that might make it easier to track chicks after they leave the nest. Updates will be posted about this in due course.

#peregrine #falcon #nottingham #newton and arkwright buidling

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