New life
The Coots on my local lake had six chicks earlier in the year. All of them were eaten. They built another nest …
A small furry nose
When no-one else is looking this Brown Rat, Rattus norvegicus, crawls from the undergrowth and helps itself to the surplus bird food …
Return to Cuckooville
Wild Cuckoos are truly wild birds. They don’t tolerate human presence. I’m hidden in camouflage and bracken waiting for them to come …
Foalish
Images of mothers and children are incredibly powerful to humans. It’s even the case that we respond to other mammals: Mare and …
A Little Tern and Mediterranean Gulls
We’re out on a trip to Portland when we stop at Ferrybridge in Dorset. We’re there to see the Little Tern colony, …
Cafe culture
I’m at Portland in Dorset with my friend Mark when he offers to buy us ice creams. I’m hardly likely to refuse, …
Feeding time
The Green Woodpecker chick is now large enough to stick its head out of the nesting hole. Previously all we could see …
A mirror for Skylarks
There’s a Skylark atop the burnt Gorse above Emsworthy Mire on Dartmoor. It’s standing in classic, erect, Skylark pose, with chin up …
Return to Emsworthy Mire
Emsworthy Mire on Dartmoor is one of my favourite places. It’s easy to get to, close to home, and not very busy. …
Cuckoo! – how to take photos of Cuckoos
There are still adult Cuckoos on Dartmoor. When they all leave for their migration to Africa there will still be Cuckoos here, …
Losing your nut
One minute you have it and the next minute it’s gone. This is what it’s like when you lose your nut. The …
Coots and Moorhens
Coots and Moorhens are fairly familiar birds of lakes, ponds and canals. They are both members of the Rallidae, a family which include Rails, like the …
Beavers on the Otter
There are Beavers on the River Otter. I park in Otterton (yes, really) and we have a pint in The King’s Arms …
Mandarin splashabout
I love a Mandarin Duck shot. I decide to lie on the ground and get my camera as low to the water …
Yet more Green Woodpeckers
Being in a portable hide and spending time with these Green Woodpeckers has been a thrill. Here’s the male with his distinctive …
When your mates arrive pre-loaded
It’s an evening out in England and your friends are meeting at yours. The cost of alcohol in pubs and clubs means …
More Green Woodpeckers
Okay, I’m getting the hang of these Green Woodpeckers now. You wait for three hours and see nothing. You hear a call, …
Cosy Squirrels
I couldn’t resist taking this photograph, although it took me a long time, as I was too busy admiring how cute this …
Finding a Green Woodpeckers’ nest
There’s the loud laugh of a Green Woodpecker in the woods. My friend abandons his camera and bag and rushes wildly into …
This is the shot I wanted
And I didn’t disturb the bird to get it. We discovered a Green Woodpeckers’ nest just over a month ago. Since then …
A Mandarin Duck spectacular
The light’s just right. And so is the duck. Photographs of Mandarin Ducks just never get old. Unlike me. After lying down …
Tit in blossom
People picking a favourite month always seems strange to me, as if you could have one month without the others. Anyway, if …
A wild cruise
I love being on ferries and small boats. It’s not something I do very often, so when my son Gabriel suggested a …
The negative effects of humans on the mental health of animals
It seems that everywhere I look at the moment in my social media bubble there’s someone writing an article or a book …
Swift, Swifter, Swiftest
Swifts are one of the last migratory birds to arrive in the UK and one of the first to leave. They are …
Admit it
You’re just a little bit in love with Long-Tailed Bushtits, aren’t you?
Every once in a while
You need to stop and appreciate a Robin. And I did.
And then there was one.. again!
I’ve loved watching Coots have ugly-beautiful chicks and the dedication of the parents to raise them. One of the pairs on Stover …
Woodpigeon portraits
Woodpigeons have a very strange iris in their eye. It looks like it’s egg-shaped or a couple of overlapping circles, but it …
Gadwall
Duck identification isn’t my specialist subject for Mastermind. So when this handsome chap flies past I have to resort to Professor Google, …