Always a Comma and never a full stop
There’s a Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album at the top of this Blackthorn tree. It’s bright orange against the still-green leaves and the …
There’s a Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album at the top of this Blackthorn tree. It’s bright orange against the still-green leaves and the …
There’s a sparrow with a chocolate-coloured head peering at me. There’s a clue to its identity in that I’m at Tree Sparrow …
At school I was taught that ‘carding’ wool is when you take the raw wool and tease it to straighten all the …
I’m at Crime Lake. Apparently no crime was committed here, but having seen the six lanes of motorway built through beautiful countryside, …
The traditional English word in England for this time of year was fall, not autumn. Fall isn’t a modern American import at …
When I first heard that a duck could have an eclipse I thought that it was a joke. A total eclipse of …
I’m walking on Orley Common and there are parrots in the grass. No, not these kinds of parrots.
Forty years ago, before I was even a teenager, I started keeping detailed nature notebooks. A lined notepad and a blue biro, …
Grey seals are very distinctive. This one was hauled out at Broughton in Pierowall. They have that famous Roman nose: I first …
There are a million pairs of Collared Doves in the UK, which is remarkable because there weren’t any in the country in …
Looking down from the top of the valley we can see the medieval hill town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio below. It’s …
I’m looking over the beautiful green treetops and palm-tops in Parco Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli: There’s a flock of Long Tailed Tits …
I’m walking around Villa d’Este in Tivoli. It’s the Renaissance masterpiece where hundreds of fountains flow with ornate carvings, pools, ducts and …
I’m wandering around Tivoli with my camera. I’m in the Parco Villa Gregoriana. I expected there to be a fine house called …
I love the street cats of Italy, despite the number of wild birds they kill. Today I have a day off in …
On the high mountain plain above Calascio in Italy we stop for a picnic and I see a black, white and yellow …
The ability of life to survive in the harshest of climates is remarkable. We’re walking at 1,500m above sea level and winters …
The Earth is on a journey from biodiversity to monoculture; from rich tropical and temperate rainforests to grass with cattle and sheep …
Every place on Earth has its own palette. Some are collections of complimentary colours; others have contrast. Some are simple; others are …
I’m trying to have a relaxed breakfast but there’s too much to see. I want my Italian coffee and croissant but I …
We are walking in Abruzzo in Italy at a height of 1,500 metres above sea level. It’s invigorating: Amongst the grass are …
We’re spending a few days walking in Italy. We’re in Rocca Calascio, part of the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso. That means …
The L’Aquila region of Italy is named after Aquila which means eagle. It’s an area of breathtaking high peaks. “Do they have …
It’s time for breakfast in Italy which means more delicious food and breathtaking views are on the way. Sitting outside in October …
Puffins live so close together that there are frequent small territorial acknowledgements and disputes. They also pair for life so there are …
Last year we used well over a billion plastic bottles a day. Fewer than half of these bottles were collected for recycling. …
This Puffin was sitting outside its burrow in the soil at the top of the cliff last summer. Its mate was inside …
Get out of the house. Stop staring at a screen. Ignore the day-to-day. Take some time. Go on a trip. Immerse yourself …