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Nature Notebooks, Page 35

Grey Wagtail - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Grey Wagtails

The estimated population of Grey Wagtails in the UK is 38,000 pairs. I’m delighted there’s a pair on my local river. Here …

Wood Pigeons - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

2m rule

There’s currently an active debate about relaxing the 2m social distancing rule.

Dunnock - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Dunnock

Dunnocks are a personal favourite of mine. They’re surprising in many ways. This one has chicks deep in the undergrowth. They’re in …

Mallard - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Reserved

The sign is clear. This space is reserved. Either this duck can’t read or it’s very, very important.

Goldfinch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Goldfinch

It’s been the wettest winter on record. We’ve just had the sunniest May on record. What will summer bring us? I suspect …

Greenfinch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Greenfinch

There’s a Greenfinch in a familiar place – up the top of a tree. It’s not a flattering angle: Thankfully, when I …

Blackbird

There’s a terrible racket coming from a bush nearby in the town centre. It sounds like a Blackbird is going absolutely out …

Mallard Ducklings - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Duckling

They are symbolic of spring; cute fluffy ducklings This parade of Mallard ducklings were barely larger than the eggs that once contained …

Common Buzzard - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Pale Buzzard

There’s a wide variation in the colouration of Common Buzzards. This one is particularly pale, without the dark brown breast markings and …

Magpie - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

All for joy

“One’s for sorrow, two’s for joy…”, says the old rhyme, ‘Magpie’. I don’t agree. Magpies, however many in number, are all for …

Black Tailed Skimmers - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Black Tailed Skimmers

I can see a pair of dragonflies. They’re Black Tailed Skimmers, Orthetrum cancellatum, in tandem in beautiful weather. The male has that …

Brixham

Brixham and Berry Head

I’ve only been to Berry Head in South Devon twice before. The first time I parked in the wrong car park, spent …

Buzzard - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

How many Crows make a mob?

How many Crows make a mob? The answer is only one. The local Buzzard has taken off for its daily life of …

Mallard - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey

Mallard

There’s a flying duck coming fast and low. It’s a male Mallard and I manage to capture it well enough to print …

The Puffin Roars - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Theft, Lies and Instagram

Have you ever been robbed? It’s a horrible feeling. My family was burgled when I was a child. We were on holiday …

Blue Tit - Stover - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Portraits in beautiful light

What are the chances that a period of time when many people have to stay indoors to avoid a deadly pandemic should …

Robin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The river walk

Here are a few familiar faces from my social distancing walk. This Mute Swan is one of the aggressive pair which have …

Coots - Stover - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Coot kerfuffle

I’m looking up a tree when there’s a bit of a kerfuffle on the lake. Coots are deeply territorial birds. Or terror-torial. …

Mute Swan - River Teign - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A grey day on the Teign

I’m out with my son in the early morning. He has a camera too and takes a photo of me. As we …

Long-Tailed Tits - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Babies!

I was recently informed on Facebook (if that’s even possible) that young birds are called chicks and not babies. Someone responded with …

Blackcap - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey

Blackcap

There’s a beautiful song coming from the bush in front of me. It’s the ‘Northern Nightingale’, the Blackcap: Blackcaps practice leap-frog migration: …

Chiffchaff - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey

Chaffchiff

There’s a Chiffchaff in the tree. At some stage a predecessor of the Willow Warbler and the Chiffchaff had a strange egg. …