About Graham Clarkson

Born & brought up in Marshside, I started birding there in the mid 1970s & made my first birding trip to Martin Mere in 1977. I've lived, worked & birdied in Abu Dhabi, Northern Ireland & Gloucestershire & I've spent time working in Kazakhstan & Madagascar. I enjoy birding my various West Lancashire patches, making frequent birding visits throughout the north-west of England and North Wales. I stray elsewhere in the UK & enjoy birding abroad from time to time. I'm particularly interested in wildfowl (especially pink-footed geese) with an interest in waders & raptors, bird counts & surveys & conservation. I'm trying to get the hang of photography & digiscoping - I'll get there eventually.

My degree from Edge Hill University is in conservation biology. I've guided on numerous birding days out & trips & guided birding holidays to Lesvos, Andalucia, Extremedura, Majorca, Camargue, Hungary, Finland & Florida. I enjoy showing people birds & habitats & helping them learn more about birds & enjoy birding. I'm currently involved with the Birdwatching and Beyond course at Edge Hill and a brand new venture; Skein Birding.

As well as birding I'm interested in captive breeding & reintroduction projects & zoos, how they're managed & how they contribute to conservation. I'm a proud Lancastrian & love the Lancashire countryside & landscapes. I'm an Evertonian & also keep up with what's happening at Southport, PNE & Bristol Rovers. Gardening, dogs (I have a Labrador & a Tibetan Terrier) and keeping chickens (especially Marsh Daisys & Scots Dumpy Bantams). Ruth & I have two marvellous boys who both love nature too. I hope you find the blog and subjects covered interesting; please feel free to leave a comment.

Friday 3 January 2014

Night Herons and other beautiful birds

When I was a young, mad keen birder, in the late 1970s and early 80s Night Herons were still very rare birds and each record had the following question connected to it - "is it from Edinburgh?". That was because back in the day Edinburgh Zoo was home to a large and prolific free flying colony, since then birds have been captured and rehomed. Only two are currently at large, one of which was hatched in the feral colony in 1982. 

One of the last two free-flying Night Herons at Edinburgh Zoo. 


Darwin's Rhea

Cassowary - a most extraordinary bird

Egyptian Vulture

Meller's Duck, a threatened Madagascan endemic 

Madagascar Teal, another rare Madagascan endemic

Chilean Flamingos. Always extraordinarily beautiful. 

Steller's Sea Eagle

 Same bird, staring at me


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