Hello from Bristol!

[Willow]

Just wanted to say hello everyone...

....and a big thank you for such a great site! I'm new here, and looking forward to chatting and learning loads from my visits to WAB. Really glad I've found it!

A bit about me: Well, I've lived here on the edge of Bristol for the past ten years and, despite being just a stone's throw from the city, am very lucky to have a beautiful wooded river valley backing onto our street....which means a garden full of birds; buzzards often circling overhead; a Badger sett nearby; Roe deer and kingfishers counted amongst the locals - and, very recently, a pair of beautiful foxes ambling around our lawn at breakfast-time!

I was born and grew up amongst the ancient woodlands and North Downs of Kent, and am an honorary Northumbrian by marriage! One of the specialties of my native Kent - orchids - are amongst my many wildlife passions (which range from fungi to frogs, bats to butterflies, birds to reptiles, Badgers to beetles - and everything in between!)

Before we had children, my husband and I used to do a lot of conservation volunteering, running our local BTCV Conservation Volunteer group back in Kent and going out on weekly tasks with the Avon Wildlife Trust when we moved West. I also spent a year back in the 1980s as a Volunteer Field Officer for BTCV Kent.

Now, we keep involved with nature conservation by doing BTO, UK Phenolgy surveys and the like with our children - and enjoy pond dipping, rock-pooling, following Badger tracks and searching for oak apples, watching our garden woodpeckers....all those things the kids (and we!) love doing....

As our youngest child is disabled, getting out to some parts of the countryside can be quite a test of our ingenuity and physical strength sometimes - but we're very determined he won't miss out (thank goodness for all-terrain pushchairs - especially when faced with the Northumbrian dunes or the slopes of the Cheviots!)

I feel I've got a bit out of touch with the wider nature conservation world these past few years - so it's really great to have found this friendly, informative community of like-minded folk. Looking forward to being a part of it!

Best wishes to all....

Willow

[StuartDH]

Hi Willow,

It's great that you found Wild About Britain - it certainly matches up with your wide variety of interests.

Sounds like you've had, and still have, a very busy wild life. There'll be plenty to keep you busy on the site and it'll be great if can keep us posted with news about the wild things around Bristol. About ten years ago I used to go to the city almost every week, but spent most of my time hanging off the rock face near clifton suspension bridge and didn't really see much else, so it'd be great to find out what I was missing.

Stu

[paulinemiller10]

Welcome to the forum Willow, I 'm new too, just joined, really enjoying it here, so many lovely pictures, and lots of friendly people, I live in the centre of a small town, but still get more than my share of wildlife, but you living near the woods, and the river and all the wildlife you have around you, it must be lovely, hope you enjoy it here too. Pauline

[Mark43]

Hello Willow.

It's a pleasure to have you here.

[nightshade]

Hi willow,compass-wise which side of bristol ?there are a lot of nice places still
in and around the city

[Willow]

Thanks for the welcome Stu I can see I'm going to really enjoy this forum. I'm learning loads already...

Originally Posted by StuartDH

About ten years ago I used to go to the city almost every week, but spent most of my time hanging off the rock face near clifton suspension bridge and didn't really see much else, so it'd be great to find out what I was missing.

Stu

Now - that's a perspective of Bristol I've not experienced! What a great view of the Avon Gorge peregrines you'd get from there, if ever they chose to do a fly past just at the right moment! Wish I was brave enough to try it!

I'll definitely keep everyone posted on Bristol's wildlife. The Avon Gorge is such a special place, being an SSSI and home to some real botanical treasures (the Bristol Whitebeam and Wilmott's Whitebeam are not found anywhere else in the world! And the Bristol Onion and Bristol Rock Cress are found nowhere else in Britain!) Years ago I did an adult education course on the botany of the Gorge and surrounding area (wish I could remember half of the details I learnt!!! ) Will have to dig out my field notes....

Here's a couple of links to give a flavour of the area:

http://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/...on_habitat.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/nature/06.shtml

As you'll see, Bristol and its surrounding area is 'girt lush' - as they say around here!

[Willow]

Hello Pauline - thank you very much for the welcome. What a friendly place this is! I've been reading through your hello from Wales thread, and loved hearing about and looking at the photos of all your lovely wildlife, garden and Rabbits. It's amazing isn't it - and so wonderful - what a variety of wildlife finds its way into our lives, wherever we are. Our street is so typically suburban, and yet we have wildlife treasures all around...

Looking forward to future chats to swap notes!

Willow

[Willow]

Hello Mark and Nightshade,
Thanks so much for the welcome. I'm slowly finding my way around..but am feeling at home already!

Originally Posted by nightshade

Hi willow,compass-wise which side of bristol ?there are a lot of nice places still
in and around the city

Nightshade, I live on the S.E. edge of the city - on the way to Bath. Do you know the area? Yes, Bristol's such a great city; full of wild spaces, both in its urban heart and on its edges.

Here's a link to give a flavour of the particular wildlife corridor that passes by me...

http://www.riveravontrail.org.uk/wildlifegeology.html

[Tursiops]

Hi Willow
I lived in Bristol for 15 years, in the Windmill Hill/Totterdown area (moved to London in '94), and still get back there occasionally to visit friends. Not a bad city, as cities go. Looking forward to hearing more from you about what's happening down there.
All the best
Tursiops

[nightshade]

Hello Willow,yes I know the area very well

[Willow]

Hi Tursiops - Thanks for your reply. You moved away just a few years before we moved here from Kent! I love living here, but I must admit I do miss Kent - whenever I go back I feel like I'm in my natural habitat somehow (love all those woodlands and trees....) But, with the Mendips, Cotswolds, Somerset Levels etc all not far away, it all more than compensates!

Looking forward to hearing about the wildlife from your neck of the woods too....

Best Wishes.

Willow

[Willow]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Hello Willow,yes I know the area very well

Hi Nightshade. Ah, yes - I see you are in the S.W!