The very beginning.

I have always liked birds. I remember as a child periodically begging my mum to let me make suet balls or buy fancy seed to feed our garden blackbird. I bought bird identification guides in charity shops and carboot sales. As an avid drawer/painter, more often than not, I would draw birds (the background image of this blog is an example). Despite this underlying enthusiasm, I have never been a birder, that is, until 2019.

I am not sure what exactly triggered my New Years resolution to become a birder, but on New years eve, while staying in a lovely Shepards hut in Wales, I declared that was what I was going to become. On New Years day, as we walked along a beach in Snowdonia I saw a flock of oystercatchers wading happily. I saw this as an positive omen.

I decided to start this blog for two reasons:
The first is to act as a diary.
The second is because while devouring any beginners bird watching guide/website/podcasts i could get hold of, I became a bit disheartened. I didn't want to spend loads of money on fancy binoculars, all gulls look the same (albeit it different sizes) and the numerous all black oystercatchers I saw on Pembrokeshire sand dunes (in a subsequent trip to Wales in February) were NOT super rare lost Australian oystercatchers but actually a bird I had never heard of (clough's). I want other beginner birders to hear the real struggle, determination and happiness of this journey.

So, thats it!
Any comments or feedback always appreciated :)
The Curious Nuthatch




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