The scientific name of the Jay is Garrulus glandarius. It means ‘Talkative Acorn-Eater’. This one is certainly garrulous (excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters): Jays have a prominent malar stripe. In some birds, like Peregrine Falcons, the theory is that having a malar stripe reduces glare. That’s unlikely to be the case with …
I’m taking photographs of a Goldfinch in the snow when a Blue Tit flies past. I think it’s an elegant composition with …
You have to admire how plucky Blue Tits are. For such a small bird they have a great attitude. Humans think it’s …
Bramblings are entertaining birds to watch. They appear to act very similarly to Chaffinches and they are the same size and shape. …
There’s a slightly bedraggled Goldfinch in the snow. It’s been snowing lightly with gentle flakes so its plumage is wet. It’s also …
It’s poor light but the snow on the ground is reflecting the light beautifully. The softness of the sound and the softness …
Hawfinches are quarrelsome bullies. They’re bigger than the other birds which frequent bird feeders and they don’t mind throwing their weight around. …
There’s something so ugly-beautiful about Hawfinches. They’re the Pre-Raphaelite equivalent of Jane Morris, the famous embroiderer and also artists’ model. This is …
There appears to be a strict social hierarchy and sense of corpse-etiquette amongst the Cinereous Vultures. These three have ganged up on …
It’s been minus 9 degrees overnight and we’ve been in the hide since before dawn. It’s vital we don’t disturb the wildlife …
It’s near to the end of a long day marooned in a mountain-top hide, sitting in silence. I spot an eagle circling …
Ravens are large birds. They look like toys next to Griffon Vultures.
Golden Jackals use their levator labii superioris muscle to snarl. The name means ‘raiser of the upper lip’. This Jackal’s top lip …
The Golden Jackal family which has arrived on our mountain outcrop seems to consist of an adult pair and a youngster. I …
Our workshop leader isn’t sharing the information that someone has been sitting in these very hides in the Bulgarian mountains for several …
As we sit in the hide at dawn in the Rhodope Mountains, marvelling at the enormous Griffon Vultures which have just arrived, …
We’ve spent a day in a minibus travelling east from Lake Kerkini in Greece to the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. In the …
It’s a gorgeous sunset. The sun is setting over Lake Kerkini and I have several thousand more images on my new memory …
The Dalmatian Pelicans of Lake Kerkini are certainly photogenic. So is the Lake and the surrounding landscape. Perhaps the most important thing …
I’ve tried long exposures to get blurred photographs of birds before. I love the technique if it works. Just look how epic …
Pelicans love fish. They’re very fish-motivated. They’re also quite fish-competitive. These three Dalmatian Pelicans are in a fish-battle for fish-supremacy. Only one …
For my trip to Greece to photograph the Dalmatian Pelicans of Lake Kerkini I did what you should never do as a …
I’ve just spent a week in Greece and Bulgaria in a group of six people taking photographs of the wildlife there. I’ve …
This Common Guillemot is curious about the boat we’re on as we go past it in Lyme Bay. It’s ready to dive …
There’s a Great Northern Diver in Brixham harbour. It’s been floating and preening for a while now and I’ve been waiting for …
Along the Nile and through North Africa and beyond, the Blue Lotus flowers above the water, its roots deep in anoxic mud. …
Black-Tailed Godwits are wonderful birds. Here are some in flight over the River Exe. Black-Tailed Godwits are often confused with Bar-Tailed Godwits …
There’s a Common Guillemot, Uria aalge, flying past. There’s a colony perched on a rock in Torbay and they fly regularly across the …
Take a look at this Avocet flying by. Have you seen the state of its toes? Covered in brown mud? That, however, …
There’s a Great Northern Diver in Brixham harbour. I climb down the slippery stone steps to sea-level and perch as low as …