Blog development

[jcyprus]

I am an avid and now reasonably experienced birder , at the age of only 14 i am one of only a handful of people my age who are interested ( obsessed ) with birding . I have created a blog of my many trips around norfolk and suffolk . Any comments or tips about how i could improve my blog would be widely appreciated as this is something i want to carry on doing and it may in the future if expanded get people interested in birdwatching and the like .

The blog can be found here Home - A Birding Blog of personal sightings

[solus]

Originally Posted by jcyprus

Any comments or tips about how i could improve my blog would be widely appreciated

This won't be, but you did ask!

You could try to improve on grammar and spelling, in particular by using capitals at the start of proper nouns such as places and species names. Abbreviating bird names is not going to encourage non-birders as they won't understand what species you are referring to so they'll click away and give up.

[UB4 gardener]

hi, not really a blog reader but you use a wider vocabulary than i ever did at 14 my only word of advice, coming from someone who started birdwatching age 11, if you can, widen your interest, your travels will take you to places where you may see many and varied creatures. look at those too. my regret in life is that i didn't start doing this til i was 30+ and i look back to where my dad and i went and things i missed out on. so don't get blinkered by birds only. you won't regret it and you are young enough to soak up all the extra information. the older you get the harder it gets.

Chris

[theresa dockery]

Originally Posted by UB4 gardener

if you can, widen your interest, your travels will take you to places where you may see many and varied creatures. look at those too. my regret in life is that i didn't start doing this til i was 30+ and i look back to where my dad and i went and things i missed out on. so don't get blinkered by birds only.

Wise words indeed!

I've met many a birder who is ONLY interested in birds and shows not even the mildest interest in non-avian wildlife - I always think they miss out on so much.

There's a lot to be said for getting to know your own patch inside out: the varied habitats, mammals, local plants and seasonal fungi, identifying the insects/invertebrates, looking for reptiles on the moors...even learning a little about the local history/geology. But I digress...

Nice photos!
My only other piece of advice would be - liberally intersperse the text with photos - it makes large blocks of text more appealing to read and captures people's interest/attention spans.

You could also try joining the UK & Eire Natural History Bloggers & the Nature Blog Network, which both make it easier for people to find out about your blog, and are an excellent source of inspiration & ideas!

[jcyprus]

Thanks for the kind words , all comments aree appriciated . As i response to getting to know a wider range of wildlife on my local patches . I am slowly but surely being converted to everything wild i have always been interested in butterflies and dragonflies so any sightings and pictures will be uploaded. I don't think i can break the text down and place pictures in but i could include links to my pictures - i'll have to have a fiddle . At the moment i am trying to learn latin names of birds and butterflies . Up to 50 + birds but only around 8 or 9 butterflies . I know i should look at fungi and plants but i'm afraid to say it doesn't interest me . If it was the choice between some marsh marigold or a mealy redpoll then i know what i'd choose .