Learn to cook whale – in pictures
I love collecting books. There’s a lifetime of escaping to alternative worlds within the covers of a good book. One of the …
The Third Ladybird Book of British Birds – #6 The Reed Warbler
I’ve just picked up the third volume of the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s again. Today …
Piro Piro Piccolo
There’s a Common Sandpiper on the River Teign. I can’t get close to it, though. I had much better views previously: I’ll …
Blue Tit blue day
I’ve not been out of the house for a few days. I’ve been sitting in listening to the spout of water coming …
Bathing Blackbird
There are puddles all along the footpath on the River Teign past the scrap metal works. This male Blackbird is making full …
Tracing shadows to their source
As a child, did you watch shadows? Did you strain to see them move as the Earth turned? Did you see how …
Redbreast frisky time
The territorial squabbling continues: It’s nearly frisky time for this Robin. And it needs all the neighbours to know about it. What …
The waterworks Buzzard
On a previous walk through the industrial estate I met a couple who said they’d seen a Buzzard at the waterworks on …
Dunnock babble
A Dunnock babbling is a beautiful sound.
Black Headed Gull in a moving work of art
The reflections of the bridge across the River Lemon make wonderful dancing patterns around this Black-Headed Gull.
Cherry pie, almond or vanilla? What do Winter Heliotropes smell of?
There’s a plant I think I recognise on the industrial estate. It’s Butterbur; except it isn’t. The flowers look right but they’re …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #33
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Recommendation. Thanks for joining me. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, stumble upon …
Dunsford Daffodils
This year I haven’t been able to travel onto Dartmoor to see the Daffodil display at Dunsford Wood. They grow in profusion …
Black Headed Gulls
Gulls always look great against urban backdrops and bright colours. I photographed Herring Gulls on Bristol’s docks and loved the results. In …
Jackdaws
There’s a Jackdaw on the picnic lawn at Decoy Country Park. They’re endlessly entertaining, intelligent and wary. I’m waiting for it take …
One of my favourite photographs
This is one of my favourite photographs: Why? I like the shape of the body against the negative space which surrounds it …
Achenes of Old Man’s Beard
Old Man’s Beard is a plant I’ve never consciously seen in flower before. I’m determined to look for it this summer. I’ve …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #32
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Recommendation. Thanks for joining me. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, stumble upon …
Under the bridge
It’s raining so we take shelter under the bridge. No, not the multi-million pound club in the grounds of Chelsea Football Club; …
Rats!
As we walk through the industrial estate I see a small, very cute, brown face with whiskers staring out of the undergrowth. …
The Overconsumption Chronicles – Volume 2
Today, chronicling the difficulty of repairing things. I’m attempting to consume less, yet I’m finding the rest of society isn’t organised to …
One of the most important plants in the UK is also one of the most hated
Beautiful, isn’t it? Recognise it? It’s Ivy. It flowers when little else does and provides an essential stop-gap of nectar. It has …
1380 kilometres from home
We amble down to Newton Abbot Quay. There’s a raucous squabble under the bridge as Black Headed Gulls compete for food. “Look …
Whitethroat
Here are a couple of photographs of a Common Whitethroat, Curruca communis, which I took last summer. It’s a chunky warbler with …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #31
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Recommendation. Thanks for joining me. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, stumble upon …
A Sparrowhawk amongst the Pigeons
We’re at Newton Abbot Quay again for a daily walk. Something has to be done, given the amount of pasta we’re eating. …
Return of the vagabond waif
We’re back in the tiny scrubby woods for our daily walk. It’s full of litter. Imagine a world where every sip and …
Bumbarrels on parade
There’s a small group of Long-Tailed Bushtits calling overhead. They’re vibrating a ‘Tseee-Tseee’ call amongst the empty branches as they move through. …
The Elder jellies
I’m tramping through scrub on a path used by dog walkers and alienated teenagers. It’s only rubbish which catches my eyes and …
From Siberia with love
The Puffin Whisperer comes back from a walk and turns the back of her camera towards me to show me a bird …