Go crazy for punk wildlife
IT’S normal at this time of year for me to mention punk rock wildlife, as I am waiting excitedly for the Strummercamp Festival in Oldham over the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend.
Punk rock was all about do-it-yourself music, so there is something quite punk about waking you up when you are camping out, birds singing and bees buzzing around your canvas.
And there is something special about a festival in a location like the scenic and atmospheric Oldham Rugby Union Club, every time a song ends you can hear the birds rattling out their own version of Teenage Kicks or Holidays in the Sun.
And the first few days of my challenge to do something wild every day in June means I will be camping out and doing a bit of wild dancing.
I like being a bit different and this morning a dog walker thought I was having problems as I lay on a path filming.
I was trying to identify a caterpillar on the path; my dog, Alfie, gets used to me stopping in odd places.
That lime green caterpillar was enjoying munching on some prime leaves and creating a wonderful arch as it moved along to its next meal.
It will soon pupate and become a cabbage looper moth, gardeners don’t really like them.
Like some butterflies these are bright and colourful insects that some people don’t understand.
And today I have seen a lively encounter with three thrushes charging around the local woods before sitting in trees belting out their loud and tuneful songs.
With its spotty chest and repeated songs, the song thrush really does try to change the sounds of the countryside, making it a better place to be.
Have you ever been bothered by loud music from your neighbours?
Well what about the blackbird that sings out proudly every morning from daybreak, nothing to complain about there.
This is the best music in the world and I love waking up in my Strummercamp tent to hear its latest hits.
The owls would be a good name for a band and going to sleep to a soundtrack of a “toowhit” and a “toowoo” is an absolute please if tawny owls are in the area.
With the festival being so close to the Pennines and the outstanding Daisy Nook Country Park, I am never surprised to hear cuckoo (a bit late now), woodpeckers and bright, colourful, noisy pheasants – real punk rockers.
Pheasants were originally introduced into the UK, now there are more than a million of them, because people who like shooting things aren’t that good at shooting huge, noisy and brightly coloured birds.
They often sit in trees making a real racket.
I am big fan of pheasants.
Camping out and festivals are all part of our 30 Days Wild challenge where hundreds of thousands of people do something wild every day in June.
This gets people out of their house (although you can go wild indoors), gets them to appreciate nature and is great for their mental and physical health.
You can get some ideas by ordering a 30 Days Wild pack at www.lancswt.org. uk
Strummercamp runs from Thursday, June 2 to Saturday, June 4 and it’s not all noisy punk rock, it is actually a friendly and pleasant festival, with some of the loveliest and most colourful people you will ever meet.
You can find details on Facebook.