Starling in the Meadow
As I arrive in Broken Tower Meadow in Rome a group of Starlings scatter from their fossicking in the meadow. This one perched momentarily and I thought it was so beautiful, with its iridescent plumage and bright yellow breeding-plumage beak, that I had to photograph it.
More from the Pratone
A hunting Hobby I can see a bird of prey high in the sky. I don't recognise it, so I train my lens… read more
Eastern Dappled White Butterfly There are butterflies galore in Broken Tower Meadow, il Pratone di Torre Spaccata. Here's one. I think it's the Eastern… read more
Transparent Burnet Moth There's what looks like a Transparent Burnet moth, Zygaena purpuralis in the park. The larvae feed on wild thyme, which… read more
There’s a beetle-shaped hole in our lives 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… read more
“Gruccione!” We're walking in Broken Tower Meadow, il Pratone di Torre Spaccata when the Puffin Whisperer says "Gruccione". I recognise the… read more
I’m a big fan of garden pests Whenever I search the Internet for an invertebrate, unless it's rare, there's always a result which is "How do I… read more
Thousands of orchids as far as the eye can see Walking around il Pratone di Torre Spaccata in Rome we spot a Long-Lipped Tongue Orchid, Serapias vomeracea. Then we spot… read more
‘Shrike’ she shrieks! We're walking in il Pratone di Torre Spaccata (Broken Tower Meadow) in Rome when I hear the Puffin Whisperer shout… read more
What sort of a name is Zitting Cisticola? I'm in Italy for a couple of weeks and, although I've got work to do, I'm having a few trips… read more
Wrens’ nest Last year I found a Wren's nest, high in a tree in a wasteland in Rome. It was in an… read more
Gheppio In Italian, the Common Kestrel is known as Gheppio, which is from the Latin, originally from the Ancient Greek for… read more
Journeying south to spring and north to winter I've spend a large part of my adult life travelling from the south of England, and more lately from the… read more