It was my birthday, so I decided to do something different – to go on a twitch. A twitch is the pursuit and observation of a rare bird. For other people, it’s an obsession, including chartering boats and planes to get to far-flung islands to see rarities. That’s not for …
I’m currently reading the third volume of the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Times have changed: …
I was at the Natural History Museum in London a month ago when I saw the skeleton of an adult human female. …
There are Black-Tailed Godwits on the Exe. I’m pleased to see them, but wish my knees weren’t as muddy as their ankles …
It’s a delight to see Rose Ringed Parakeets in London, even if they are noisy and seriously out of place. This one …
I’ve always wanted to go to Hampstead Heath. No, not because it’s the busiest gay cruising site in the UK, possibly the …
Great Northern Divers are sleek and handsome characters. There are many around the coast of South Devon at the moment. This one …
We’re told there’s a pair of Goldeneye when we arrive at RSPB Radipole. I’ve seen one before from a great distance and …
My son and I are having a trip to Highgate Cemetery, or I should say cemeteries, as there is an old one …
We’re got three species of corvids in this London park. Firstly, there’s the robust Carrion Crows, with their large beaks festooned with …
A chance encounter with a Curlew always improves my day. They’re my emotional connection to the wilderness we’ve lost.
The Natural History Museum has some wonderful fossils, as well as casts of wonderful fossils faked to look real. Recognise this? Here’s …
Grey Squirrels in London are almost fearless in some parks. I find them endlessly entertaining. This one appears to have an urgent …
We’ve had a bit of weather recently, so having a modicum of sunshine is an unexpected joy. As is this Black-Headed Gull: …
We’re on a mission to see a bird I’ve wanted to see since childhood, but never seen. The Puffin Whisperer wants to …
The Egyptian Goose is an introduced species and has, naturally, escaped to form a naturalised population in the UK. There are now …
We spent a while in London over the holidays and went for a stroll around the city on Christmas Day. Crossing Tower …
I’ve never been close to Red Foxes in daylight. I’ve seen them under amber street lights, alert to any danger, patrolling the …
It’s late, but still quite light, when we arrive at the River Exe and I’m delighted to see an Avocet on the …
I’ve never had a good view of a Snipe before. This time it’s different. We’re in a south-of-London park with a kind …
We’ve been offered the chance to see some wild London Foxes while we’re in London. We can’t resist, so we’re up early …
Being able to explore a natural world with different, unfamiliar species is a privilege. It was a thrill to visit Italy in …
Hooded Crows and koinophilia In Rome in 2022 we could see 300 Hooded Crows in an evening in a single field, as …
August in Orkney can be quieter than May, June or July when it comes to bird life. In 2022, August was hectic …
2022 was a very happy time for me on my visits to Orkney. I spent hours on the low cliffs and rocks …
A Kittiwake over Brixham breakwater. Such beautiful, elegant birds with their dipped-in-ink wings and smokey winter heads. I’m looking forward to spending …
There’s some quite intense play-biting going on along the wooden pontoons in Brixham harbour. It’ll all end in a splash. I can …
Shags are a form of Cormorant found around our coasts. They are smaller than the Common Cormorant we get across the country. …
What a special experience to spend time with something so wild.
Turnstones are regular visitors to Brixham harbour in the winter. They potter around the pontoons and waddle down the breakwater to the …