A modern ancient art
Rome has many modern examples of a very ancient art; graffiti. I have no idea what this is all about: He’s got …
Chatting
Returning to a chatting Stonechat. They really do love the highest perches available.
Cork Oak
It’s one of the most important plants ever known to humans. It’s the Cork Oak, Quercus suber. It’s a beautiful medium-sized tree …
A Pallid Harrier
If I had a spirit animal it would be a Hen Harrier. I love to see them. They appear, they go; they …
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 …
Sus scrofa
I think I know what left this behind: Yes, there’s one now. Massive, aren’t they? I love their delicate trotters. Humans captured …
In volo
Black Redstarts are lively. More lively than me this morning. They’re flitting in an elaborate pattern across the scrub in this park …
Hooded Crow
Crows are some of the most observant and attentive of birds. They are quick to calculate the opportunities and find avoiding dangers …
Getting your ducks in a row
Three Common Pochard fly across the lake. They make a lovely pattern against the azure Italian sky. There are two males and …
A Great Greater Flamingo
It’s the evening and a single young Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus is doing its thing in the lake. It’s beautiful, ungainly, magical, and …
Murmur
Urban Starlings. Winter. Rome. A park. All the perfect ingredients.
When Kingfishers attack
There’s a flash of electric blue and a Kingfisher arrows past on its intensely important mission. Coots beware!
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 Devon life – part 2
Much of the nature I’ve enjoyed in Devon this year has been close to home. It’s been a short walk or cycle …
2021 highlights of a wilder Devon life – part 1
Looking back at my blogs from 2021 it’s clear that I had some great wildlife experiences and managed to document many of …
2021 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
I had a wonderful time on Westray in Orkney in 2021. The Puffins returned to breed and provided constant entertainment with their …
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 …
Storno
There are only a few Swallows left in Italy in November, so it was fascinating to see Starlings taking their place as …
Circus aeruginosus
The last time I saw a Marsh Harrier it was a perfect silhouette against the light and gave me no chance to …
Yellow feet
These yellow feet are very distinctive. They belong to a Little Egret, Egretta garzetta. They enjoy paddling in the water. I don’t …
Black Redstart
One of my favourite Black Redstart photographs from this year. Lovely, aren’t they?
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 …
Going wild for a wild Tortoise
Can you see it? We’re out at a LIPU nature reserve at Castel di Guido. We’re the only ones here. It’s a …
Rallenta!
Rallenta, the sign says. I decide to look it up. What’s the English translation of rallenta from the Italian? There are hundreds …
A malar stripe
Look closely at this Kestrel. At any of the Kestrels. Look at any of the Falcons. They all have something in common. …
Shovelard
The Medieval name for the Eurasian Spoonbill was the Shovelard. That makes me laugh, every time. I’ve seen them in Italy before, …
Falco di palude
There’s a Marsh Harrier overhead. We’ve been here for hours waiting and when one appears it’s against the light. It’s a silhouette. …
Little Egret on a wire
This Little Egret is standing on one yellow foot and giving me the eye. A yellow eye. When it does try the …
Clouded Yellow
This yellow butterfly is such an attractive species. It’s a Clouded Yellow, Colias croceus. It’s flying in Italy in winter amongst the …