Hooded Crows and koinophilia
Hooded Crows are far more sociable birds than Carrion Crows. Here in Rome we can see 300 of them in an evening …
How many Crows make a mob?
How many Crows make a mob? The answer is only one. The local Buzzard has taken off for its daily life of …
Crows at sunset
The Carrion Crows are still roosting on the River Teign. They feed on invertebrates in the mud in the estuary. Walking along …
Carrion Crows – upbeat or downbeat?
Are you currently upbeat? Or downbeat? Whichever you are, I hope you’ll appreciate this glorious Carrion Crow as much as I do.
Hooded Crows at Villa Pamphilj
We’re at the park in Rome and there are Hooded Crows galore here. It’s fabulous light, though a little late in the …
Incoming!
We spent an amazing evening with the Scootie Allans of Westray. Arctic Skuas are beautiful, impressive birds, with sleek bodies and swept-back …
A Buzzard with its Crow shadow
Mobbing is something Carrion Crows manage to do on their own, without the need of a mob. There’s little rest for Buzzards …
Osprey kerfuffle
I’m walking along the path by the side of the Lago di Alviano in Italy when I hear a kerfuffle on the …
Urban Corvids
We’re got three species of corvids in this London park. Firstly, there’s the robust Carrion Crows, with their large beaks festooned with …
2022 highlights of a wilder Italian life (part 1)
Hooded Crows and koinophilia In Rome in 2022 we could see 300 Hooded Crows in an evening in a single field, as …
The egg thief
Carrion Crows don’t just eat carrion. This one has found an egg. I don’t know where the egg came from. The Crow …
How do you get this close to a Jay?
How do you get this close to a Jay? They’re famously reclusive birds, often only seen after they’ve seen you, and showing …
The Blackbird habit
Blackbirds are creatures of habit. At a year old the males select a territory to defend, with the aim of attracting a …
Two for Joy
Magpies are currently building their nests around the parish. Their nests seem like great untidy bundles of sticks in trees; the truth …
Hooded Crow
Crows are some of the most observant and attentive of birds. They are quick to calculate the opportunities and find avoiding dangers …
Take-off
I had great fun with this pair of Common Kestrels in Rome last year. They were an endearing couple. The tree in …
2021 highlights of a wilder Italian life
2021 was another year spent on-hold, waiting with awful music playing, and the same repeated message, with no guarantee that I would …
Mobbed again
It’s not an easy life being a Common Kestrel. There are always Hooded Crows around making your life unpleasant. This one is …
The phases of Sparrowhawk flight
A Sparrowhawk has just flown over my shoulder. There are seven Hooded Crows in hot pursuit. It heads into the large pine …
It only takes one crow to make a mob
They just can’t help it. If Hooded Crows see a raptor they’ll chase it, harry it, mob it and otherwise make its …
Urban Kestrels
I’ve been enjoying the company of the local Common Kestrels here in Rome. I’ve watched them hunt, be chased by the resident …
I am calling
Carrion Crows are some of the most interesting birds to observe. I occasionally watch a man who walks across a local footbridge …
KillJays
Jays are incredible birds. Members of the crow family, they have beautiful pink plumage, a crest, striking blue and black wings, a …
Paris and Pangolins
It’s a few months now since we had a romantic weekend in Paris. Naturally we took cameras. Nothing says “I love you” …
Grey Wagtails
The estimated population of Grey Wagtails in the UK is 38,000 pairs. I’m delighted there’s a pair on my local river. Here …
Destruction
This was one of my favourite places for wildlife. Whether it’s standing entranced, listening to the pure pulsating power of a Wren …
The Hall of Einar – Sunday Review #4
Sunday Review: Piepmatz – Little Songbirds – card game and Diary of a Young Naturalist – Dara McAnulty.
2019 highlights of a wilder Italian life
My Italian life in 2019 started in January with a whale of a murmuration with a raptor on its tail. Just click …
Carrion Carry On
There’s a Carrion Crow on the handrail of the small bridge across the canal. It’s a dark, iridescent blue against the dense …
Mobbing a Harris Hawk
I’ve got a day off in Rome and have spent the morning in Parco della Caffarella. There’s not much wildlife around and …