Coal Tits – forty years ago in my nature notebooks

I’m a man on a mission. I’ve recently rediscovered my old nature notebooks from when I was a child and I’m on a journey to find all the species I described back then. I’d like to see how they have changed. Where are the huge flocks of Lapwings in the fields? Where are the Waxcap fungi on unimproved grassland? Why are there gulls in town centres?

As a thirteen year old I sketched this Coal Tit and noted its distinguishing marks.

Coal Tit - 1970s Nature Notebooks - The Hall of Einar

I’m out with my camera when I spot one. I recognise it straight away. No other tit has that distinctive white patch on the nape.

Coal Tit - 1970s Nature Notebooks - The Hall of Einar

Beautiful.

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