Just got in from the customary first patch walk of the year with my friend. We targeted 50 species, which is what we saw/heard last year, but smashed that total with an unprecedented 60! Marsh Harrier and Gadwall were the surprise bird highlights, but experientially, this young Kestrel bathing in a puddle surpassed everything else we saw today for awesomeness. It’s amazing what you experience when you immerse yourself fully in nature.
#birdtherapy #birdwatching #lowcarbonbirding

At the start of 2022 I decided to no longer use a car for birdwatching and I honed in on a local area never more than 4km from my front door. Within this area is farmland with deep hedgerows, wet woodland, valley mire, wildflower meadows and more. 2022 highlights were a Pied Flycatcher in breeding plumage in the local cemetery in April, my second garden Black Redstart on the day my second daughter was born and a flyover Goshawk in March!
#birdtherapy #birdwatching #birding #lowcarbonbirding

It was a delight to spend a brief moment this afternoon, watching this Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) going about its business in the local cemetery. Vibrant, intelligent and a joy to observe, it gave me some much needed #birdtherapy to help stave off the seasonal melancholia.

Cold weather pushes birds into urban areas to find food. This Lapwing was making the most of the open ground where some landscaping took place yesterday, on the council land our house backs on to. We flushed it on the way to the shop, but it hung around most of the day. I do love unexpected cold weather wildlife experiences!

#birding #birdwatching #natureconnection #coldweather #birdtherapy

Thought I’d get involved in #ThrowBackThursday and share an old memory. This is from 2019, when I filmed a feature on #mentalhealth #SuicideAwareness #birdwatching and #natureconnection with Chris Packham for BBC Winterwatch. It’s one of my proudest moments and (I’m my opinion) a very important piece. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/iXOnw1oJmkU #birdtherapy

45 people from Instagram who actually like my book. 1 person who wrote the foreword. 1 person who put £1000 of their own money into the crowdfund to publish it. I wish I could be 1 of the people who like it, but the whole process has been incredibly damaging to my wellbeing on many levels. It’s nice that some people like it, though. #birdtherapy

I thought I would do another #introduction as I've gained a few new followers!

I'm a #Norfolk #naturalist with a particular interest in #birds and #lepidoptera

I love birds and my local area and wrote the book #birdtherapy in 2019, about my recovery and how nature connection soothed me.

I've appeared on #winterwatch and #radio4 and I've written for loads of mainstream publications. I'm writing my second book #insideoutside which is an #emotionalliteracy and #natureconnection #teaching book.

@mollyjongfast Glad you are here. I'm completely off the bird site finally. Fact off the matter this place is already way better. No ads and very little right wing scum.
#birdtherapy
#mastododonmigration
#migratedfromtwitter

My favourite bird, the Dunnock (Prunella modularis). The bird that got me taking notice of the hidden beauty in the everyday. The bird that has so many hues within its supposedly drab plumage. The bird that became symbolic of #birdtherapy. The bird that I have it’s own hashtag across social media with #teamdunnock. Quite simply THE BEST BIRD.

#birds #bird #dunnock #gardenbirds #nature #natureconnection #wildlife #birdwatching

My favourite bird, the Dunnock (Prunella modularis). The bird that got me taking notice of the hidden beauty in the everyday. The bird that became symbolic of #birdtherapy. The bird that got its own hashtag across social media with #teamdunnock. Quite simply THE BEST BIRD.

@joeharkness
Is this it, Joe ? #BirdTherapy #BBCWinterwatch
https://youtu.be/iXOnw1oJmkU

In 2019, I had the utmost privilege of filming with Chris Packham for BBC Winterwatch. We recorded a short feature on suicide, mental health, birdwatching and nature connection. It’s an incredibly powerful piece and remains one of my proudest achievements associated with #birdtherapy. I wanted to upload the video here, but unfortunately don’t seem to be able to make it work.

#chrispackham #bbcwinterwatch #bbcspringwatch #bbc #mentalhealth #wellbeing #birdwatching #natureconnection

I’m working on something pretty cool at the minute (when I’m not with my children or at work). Ages ago, I made a teaching pack to go with #birdtherapy and I’d always wanted to expand it. Inside/Outside is just that and features an emotional literacy programme designed by myself, married and mirrored with outside activities that promote nature connection. I am really proud of this!
#emotionalliteracy #education #mentalhealth #outdooreducation #teaching #regulation #wellbeing #natureconnection

I’m working on something pretty cool at the minute (when I’m not with my children or at work). Ages ago, I made a teaching pack to go with #birdtherapy and I’d always wanted to expand it. Inside/Outside is just that and features an emotional literacy programme designed by myself, married and mirrored with outside activities that promote nature connection. I am really proud of this!
#emotionalliteracy #education #mentalhealth #outdooreducation #teaching #regulation #wellbeing #natureconnection

I’m working on something pretty cool at the minute (when I’m not with my children or at work). Ages ago, I made a teaching pack to go with #birdtherapy and I’d always wanted to expand it. Inside/Outside is just that and features an emotional literacy programme designed by myself, married and mirrored with outside activities that promote nature connection. I am really proud of this!

#emotionalliteracy #education #mentalhealth #outdooreducation #teaching #regulation #wellbeing #natureconnection

Thought I may as well give this a go and see if it's any good. You may have read my book #birdtherapy at some point, so if you have 👋 and if you haven't, I'm sure I'll post about it in the coming days and weeks!