June's happenings

June. Ah June, how you have been so very hectic but yet fantastic as the same time.

You might have noticed that I have decided to rebrand myself. I’ll get to that later.

This was after my first day in my brand new job, one of the wildlife photographers at Center Parcs at Whinfell forest. The day was fantastic; I had checked the weather before I was to arrive and it said that I would be able to just about miss the rain with my ‘pupils’. Starting at 9:30 meant that most animals would be highly active. Some times this is a problem but most of the times especially when the animals are so used to human activity and feeding that it doesn’t make much of a difference. Well 9:30 am appeared and my single student was very receptive to what I had to say. Lucky he was a photographer already and wanted to branch out into taking wildlife. So it was a fantastic base to work with. The ‘pupil’ was fantastic asking loads of good questions and was very much able to see what I was saying helped him take fantastic pictures on the hour and a half that I had with him. The weather did start to turn eventually but we had just made it to the bird hide before the weather decided to rain for the rest of the day. Either way it was such a fantastic day and the job is actually very rewarding when you get to see your ‘pupils’ look at their shots and feel ecstatic with their shots. 

The beginning of this month I was back home, back south that is. Only spending 2 weeks down in Kent was so nice. Having some time to myself being able to go birding with no pressure of taking photos. I really do like just going out and seeing what I can see, not so much reconnecting or rediscovering, but unearthing my feelings for birding again. Seeing bearded tits again for the first time in years. Seeing cuckoos and hobbies. My brain really was in meltdown, I very nearly cried because I hadn’t seen these birds for such a long time. It was rather emotional.

Upon my return up north I had my interview and then waited around to see when my shifts would start. While this was going on I was slowly making my flat look like a tip. So after being badgered by foreign voices over the telephone I got my self out of the flat. If I can get out at least 2 or 3 times each week then I am a happy chappy. On theses excursions I have seen many things and actually met several people with amazing facts about Carlisle. These are wildlife facts and will be kept to myself until the time is right. Intriguing right! Probably not, I do try you know.

Any back to my rebranding. It was actually on the first shift. Whereupon I met a very talented tall photographer call Phil. Phil is a very nice and tall person. Watching him take peoples portraits is outstanding. I really cannot parse him enough. Any way I hung around after my first shift so I could get to know him a bit more, you know make new friends. Any way toward the end of the day he gave me his business card. And by god was it a wonderful piece of self-marketing. Hence my new blog name. Because Phil is rather tall and it seems to me that’s what people talk to him about when first meeting him. It is what his business card is all about. While chatting about it he came up with the ‘Charming Bearded Birder’ which if I say so myself has a lovely ring to it. So from now on I am the CBB (Charming Bearded Birder). THANKS PHIL. I would like you all to do me a favour though, go and check out Phil. His website is www.tallorderphotography.co.uk

That’s all for this month. Tune in again next month when I might have more to talk about.

CBB