Beautiful Birds(3): RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 30 results

The RSPB has published its results from the 30th annual Big Garden Birdwatch. The main surprise is that the Long-Tailed Tit has made it to the Top Ten for the first time in the survey's history.

Creative Corner (3): Seth's Bundle Project

Top: I thought rather than 'do nothing', I would have a go at the craft of bundle-making.
Middle: I gathered a few 'lost treasures' together.
Bottom: My back garden bundle (in its subtle state of khaki camouflage?)

The Weaver of Grass told us about an art installation project being coordinated by Seth Apter. She encouraged me to have a go at creating my personal bundle as part of the project - so here it is! It does not look very impressive, but perhaps the artistic process was as important as the aesthetics of the finished result! You can read about the purpose of this project over at Seth's blog. It will be interesting to see how my bundle weathers, and whether it disintegrates in the process or gets blown away on the prevailing south-westerly wind.

We hear so much about 'footprints' these days, that I was keen to keep my bundle as eco-friendly as possible. The 'string' constitutes a couple of palm fronds. The mottled colouring is due to my 'dye' of diluted turmeric powder. It is the start of moulting season, so I included a little shed pet hair, inspired by Crafty Green Poet and her lovely (re)use of rabbit wool. The other bits and pieces - a snail shell, a block of wood, a twig, some lavender heads and bits of pruning etc. - came from my garden, with the exception of a few choice news cuttings. I thought it would be fun to 'banish' some negative or pet-hate words, so I cut out a few and wrapped them up, too. You will find the words 'statistics', 'a problem', 'risk' and 'diet' in my bundle! Oh, and the 'bark' of my bundle is the inside of a kitchen roll.

I look forward to seeing what happens next, both in terms of the weathering process and in terms of Stage 2 of the project. How long will you keep us waiting, Seth?

Wonderful Words (3): Banned Words!

Who likes jargon? Take a look at this piece on the BBC site about 200 pet-hate words that council members are being told to avoid. The word list is on the right of the BBC page. Do take a look. You could then follow the link to nominate your own pet-hate words, and try your hand at the jargon quiz! Perhaps you could tell yesterday's story (see post) in jargonese!

Calendar Corner (2): World Story Telling Day

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin: once upon a time ...
Yes, today is apparently the day: what story will you tell?

Creature Feature (4): Otters under threat from eco-development

This seems a strange and contradictory scenario. You can read this story from Scarborough through the eyes of a concerned fifteen year old.

A bit closer to home, and on a more positive note, there is good news for a section of the All Wales Coastal Path.

Beautiful Birds(2): Wild Birds on our Farms

The Telegraph has a feature on the ecology of wild birds on farmland: Farmlife is for the Birds.

Poetic People (5): Seamus Heaney

The Guardian announced yesterday that Seamus Heaney has won the £40,000 David Cohen Prize for Literature. You can read about the two poems he chose to read as representative of his oevre.