Not the Bird fair, but there were massive birds of prey! Southport flower show

Shreks garden

Popped into Southport flower show on friday. Not a bad day out although the entrance price is a little steep at  £20, especially as they wanted another £3 for programme guide!, they didn't get it.

Muddy Boots / Clare's Gardens for Queenscourt Hospice

Chinese theme in floral marquee

Unlike chelsea etc not many show gardens, but had floral marquees, and stalls selling plants, promotioning bees etc.


No Monty but Joe Swift was in attendance.

Joe Swift & BBC radio Lancashire

Very well attended despite the monsoon that arrived about one o'clock off the Irish sea, fortunatley lots of places to take shelter, especially for the visitors in shorts and sandles and the pac a mac stall did a roaring trade.! I had the foresight to take my water proof walking jacket, still got drowned, but the fabric dried quick.

The events arena has some heart warming shows:  Indian runner duck display team and  their sheepdog herders. http://www.drakesofhazard.co.uk/ 
For those concerned, ducks seem well cared for, happy to perform, can't say!?

Meg the herder

And  the dogs  agility show. Many mutts making star performances
https://www.facebook.com/pages/HM-Dog-Training/319968561439345

Fearless labradoodle

And naturally I was in awe of the eagles and vultures being flown by Ben Potter
http://birdsofpreydisplays.co.uk/

Ben and Stellers sea eagle

Lift off

Landing

Can't resist showing of these beaks

Steller's sea eagle

White tailed eagle

Bald eagle

Love garden art, couldn't fit em in my pocket! Made from teak tree roots - amazing- animal elegance   https://www.facebook.com/GeoffGreenHorses

Horses- life size

Superb stag

  

There was a bandstand, where male voice choirs, brass bands, swing bands and singers serenaded the crowds throughout the day Singing in the rain! And two clowns Sonny and Rainbow

Sonny & Rainbow, making light of the pouring rain

Now i've just got to find  places for all the plants I bought, and finish a few home made treats I brought  back with me, mmmh.

Laura :-)

Coast to coast wheelchair challenge raises over £23,000

With over 100 friends, 29 machines and 16 dogs, Roy Taylor successfully completed his 215-mile Coast to Coast wheelchair challenge and raised over £23,000 for the RSPB.

Finish line - Hornsea

Roy - who works for the RSPB in northern England - and his wife Anna, set out from Southport along the Trans Pennine Trail, to reach Hornsea in just ten days. The aim of the challenge was to highlight the problems of inaccessibility in the countryside and raise funds to improve accessibility on the RSPB’s 20 northern nature reserves.

Over 100 friends, family and colleagues gave up their time to take part in the walk and provide support on the way. And helping to make the journey inclusive for all, participants used a variety of methods to get them from A to B, including two wheelchairs, two trampers, two trikes, 17 bikes, one electric bike, four scooters and a buggy.

Roy said: “The friendship, support, energy, humour and kindness of everyone who supported us made the journey an incredibly humbling and emotional experience for Anna and me.  It was an experience which will leave a deep impression on our lives.  We can't thank everyone enough.”

Obstacle course

The journey wasn’t without obstacles, which helped to highlight the numerous issues people with mobility issues, and families with pushchairs, face on a daily basis. Challenges included kissing gates, A-frames, steps, chicanes and wooden sleepers. On a number of occasions, Roy’s FourX – a four-wheel drive wheelchair – had to be dismantled to allow it to fit through the various obstacles. 

Workmen save the day

Roy said: “On one occasion we were close to giving up, as my wheelchair just couldn’t get through a gate which had double wooden sleepers. Luckily a group of workmen nearby came to the rescue and lifted the FourX over the obstacle. We’re so grateful for their help.”

However, they came across a number of innovations which made the going much easier, including different designs of A-frames and gates operated by Radar keys, which allow disabled people (who hold a Radar key) to open gates where needed.

Roy's job now is to complete accessibility audits of the RSPB’s northern nature reserves, produce a report for the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) Executive Committee on how accessibility on the trail can be improved, and ensure that all the money raised is spent on implementing the changes identified on RSPB reserves over the next year.

Roy added: “It is my pledge that the Coast to Coast Challenge will immeasurably improve accessibility - be it for wheelchairs, families or those with other mobility issues - and that RSPB nature reserves in northern England will be exemplars of accessibility in the countryside.”

To date, the challenge has raised £23,890.53 (inc. Gift Aid) including donations from hotels and B&B’s used along the route, a £2.5k donation from United Utilities, who the RSPB works with at their Dove Stone site, and £1000 each from John Laing, who Anna used to work with, and Naturetrek, who Roy has led tours for.

For a daily account of how the challenge went, visit Roy’s blog roy215miles.blogspot.co.uk, or to donate money, visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/roy215miles.

Happy new year to all our members and followers

So as we say goodbye to 2013 we find several of our clan (who are secret ticker rivals) dashing to Denhall Quay, Burton in search of rarities to finish the year off.

Siberian Chiff Chaff - L Bimson

They weren't disappointed as they were treated to  great views of Buff bellied pipit and Siberian chiffchaffs.

Gt Northern Diver-  R Blythe

And on the other side of the Mersey, a Gt Northern diver admired the storm battered pier at Southport Marine lake!

But that's not the only good news, RSPB Liverpool is on the up with more people joining our clan. Some are seasoned birders who probably know more than they're willing to admit, and then there are the novices like Brian & Janet, who only joined us last month at the December indoor meeting. Yesterday Brian sent me an email.

' My first photo of a Kingfisher  last week thought you might be interested, all the best'

Kingfisher - B Johnson

You bet we're interested Brian, it's always nice to see what folks are up to and what they've seen. Always happy to share, as I believe we learn a lot from others. 

So I hope we'll see you all in 2014, lots of great speakers, lots of great field trips and a few RSPB events at a well known park and on the high seas!

See you all on the Sunday 5th January?

http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/Liverpool/events/

Laura (Bimo the Comms)