KillJays
Jays are incredible birds. Members of the crow family, they have beautiful pink plumage, a crest, striking blue and black wings, a …
Thirsty House Martins
Eating flying insects to live must give you a thirst, surely? When you spend all day crunching flies and taking them to …
An intimate embrace
I’ve visited Orley Common a handful of times. I’m fascinated by it because nobody owns it; it’s a true common. At the …
English Stonecrop
There’s one of my favourite wild flowers at Start Point. It’s English Stonecrop, Sedum anglicum. Here it is growing on rock which …
Arriving in fog
We arrive in fog. Start Point is one of the isolated promontories of the South Hams area of South Devon. The South …
My life
As a metaphor for my life, this image just couldn’t get any better. It’s an early start to Start Point in the …
Cuckoos at Emsworthy Mire 2
I’ve arrived earlier today in the hope of seeing Cuckoos. Yesterday was a success, with a high-speed chase, so I have high …
Cuckoos at Emsworthy Mire
I’ve seen a Cuckoo before, but only the outline of a bird perched in the distance. I’d love to see one properly. …
Paris and Pangolins
It’s a few months now since we had a romantic weekend in Paris. Naturally we took cameras. Nothing says “I love you” …
Sand Martins on the Teign
We are watching Sand Martins on the BBC’s Springwatch on TV when I tell my son that there are Sand Martins on …
House Martins
One night, out for a walk from my house in South Devon, I spot a small group of House Martins. As I …
Swift by name
I love Swifts. Swifts and Swallows are the product of convergent evolution and aren’t closely related to one another. The closest relatives …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Review #10
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Review. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, see engrossing websites and hear wonderful …
Environmental ‘improvements’
If someone uses the word ‘improvements’ you know it’s likely to be a euphemism. It means ‘damage limitation’ or ‘rectification of errors’ …
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 …
2m rule
There’s currently an active debate about relaxing the 2m social distancing rule.
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 …
Reserved
The sign is clear. This space is reserved. Either this duck can’t read or it’s very, very important.
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
There’s a Greenfinch in a familiar place – up the top of a tree. It’s not a flattering angle: Thankfully, when I …
Grey and Yellow, not Yellow and Grey
I’ve seen Grey Wagtails before, in passing. I’ve never had time to really spend time with them and get to know them. …
Reed Warblers like malfunctioning robots
There’s the sound of a malfunctioning robot coming from the reeds. It sounds like a pilot episode of a 1970s science fiction …
Blackbird
There’s a terrible racket coming from a bush nearby in the town centre. It sounds like a Blackbird is going absolutely out …
Duckling
They are symbolic of spring; cute fluffy ducklings This parade of Mallard ducklings were barely larger than the eggs that once contained …
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 …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Review #9
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Review. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, see engrossing websites and hear wonderful …
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
I can see a pair of dragonflies. They’re Black Tailed Skimmers, Orthetrum cancellatum, in tandem in beautiful weather. The male has that …
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 …
There are rainbows of hope all around us
There’s a beautiful Feral Pigeon in glorious sunlight in the town centre. The iridescence is glorious. It’s a structural colour rather than …