There’s a bird I think is a Common Whitethroat, Curruca communis, in the bushes here in Capri. The light here is so great, and the modelling it created of objects is so wonderful, every photograph has been a celebration. It’s been a fulfilling few days here.
Today I’m determined to get some decent photographs of Spotted Flycatchers. We’re on Capri for a few days and I have a …
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Recommendation. Thanks for joining me. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, stumble upon …
It’s early morning when I look out of our hotel window in Capri and see a raptor above the trees. I grab …
We’ve driven from Rome to Napoli, have abandoned the car and caught a ferry to the island of Capri for a couple …
In the UK the species Trichodes alvearius and another, the Bee-Eating Beetle, Trichodes apiarius, “Have not been seen since the 19th century and are likely to be extinct.”
We’re walking in Broken Tower Meadow, il Pratone di Torre Spaccata when the Puffin Whisperer says “Gruccione”. I recognise the name. It’s …
Whenever I search the Internet for an invertebrate, unless it’s rare, there’s always a result which is “How do I get rid …
Walking around il Pratone di Torre Spaccata in Rome we spot a Long-Lipped Tongue Orchid, Serapias vomeracea. Then we spot another, and …
We’re walking in il Pratone di Torre Spaccata (Broken Tower Meadow) in Rome when I hear the Puffin Whisperer shout ‘Shrike!’ That’s …
I’m in Italy for a couple of weeks and, although I’ve got work to do, I’m having a few trips out to …
Seeing a scaly foot emerging from this Mute Swan’s plumage is a great reminder of the evolution of birds from theropod dinosaurs. …
Well, it’s not the parachute display flight I was looking for, but it is a Tree Pipit in flight. So that’s something. …
Check an English bird book and they’ll probably tell you that the call of a Great Tit sounds like “Teacher, Teacher”. That’s …
Wheatears are very wary birds. They bounce away to the next perch as soon as you approach. Walking along a footpath or …
I spent an hour last week searching for the Tree Pipit on Yarner Heath. I’ve seen it there before, and photographed it …
A trip to Trendlebere Down gives us a chance to photograph Stonechats. This female had just eaten a bee and was doing …
I’ve enjoyed John Hay’s poem, The Enchanted Shirt ever since I bought a slim volume of his poetry, Pike County Ballads, printed …
It’s always a thrill to see a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. They’re dizzyingly fast and brain-achingly difficult to photograph. This one was in quite …
Last year I was disappointed when the two Long-Tailed Tits nests I found were also found by predators. That meant there was …
Last year I found a Wren’s nest, high in a tree in a wasteland in Rome. It was in an old hole, …
A troglodyte is a cave-dweller. The Wren’s scientific name is Troglodytes troglodytes. That made sense to the 12 year old me when …
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Recommendation. Thanks for joining me. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, stumble upon …
It’s a lot of effort eating for two. This female Robin is being fed by her mate so she can pop an …
There’s a beautiful high-pitched tinkling from the branch above me. It’s a glorious Goldfinch, one of my favourite birds. I could listen …
Paul Nash’s painting, Equivalents for the Megaliths, from 1935, is in Tate Britain, and I was thrilled to get a close look at it.
These Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are busy excavating. Here’s the female inspecting her handiwork after a long session of extracting wood from their …
That orange sky was enough and yet the Starlings made it even more of an experience.
I love this time of year. I can feel the sap rising all around me. The insects which this Chiffchaff feeds on …
There’s a Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos, in the ditch opposite me. It’s in beautiful light and I can see every ripple of …