Spectacular Starling
We have a few visitors to the garden at the house we’re house-sitting in Oxfordshire. A Starling is a welcome one in …
Milvus milvus
Here in Oxfordshire there are Red Kites over the garden. They come particularly low in the early morning, looking for food to …
Common Whitethroat scratching incessantly
We’re in Oxfordshire house-sitting for my friends. The weather is stunning and there’s a dizzying number of places here we can sit …
Woodpecker work
The female Great Spotted Woodpecker seems to be in their nest hole a great deal. When she ventures out I can appreciate …
In winter there are only females
There’s an Oak Apple Gall above me on this oak tree. It’s probably five centimetres wide and inside it are anything up …
Mortuary Alley
I’m not sure anyone’s ever sketched this alleyway in Newton Abbot before. It’s a commonly used cut-through filled with industrial waste bins from all the surrounding shops. Local people refer to it as Mortuary Lane, but I’ve yet to find out why.
Fishing
I love chugging out of Brixham on board the Kelly’s Hero. Brixham is still an active port, and it’s a pleasure to …
Lobe-finned fish fossil
The distinctive, smooth, grey rocks on Westray’s exposed sea cliffs and shelving shore host fossils of fish which died 390 million years …
Bear’s Garlic
I love being in the woods and surrounded by Bear’s Garlic, Allium ursinum. I really must make better use of it, given …
Puffing Pigs
There are Harbour Porpoise off Brixham. It’s a thrill to see a small pod of them moving fast. The name Porpoise comes …
Sticks and seaplants
Shags build a messy nest of sticks and seaplants (formerly known as seaweed). Here’s one rushing back to its cliff-ledge nesting site …
The Abbot
I’ve been sketching in Newton Abbot again – this time on East Street and a historic pub called The Abbot.
Hanging out the washing
I love seeing a Great Cormorant drying its wings in the sunshine. Especially when you can see the beautiful bronze sheen on …
Great Northern Diver with a fish
I’ve seen many Great Northern Divers catching and dismembering crabs but I’ve not seen one eating a fish before. Here’s a photograph …
Perching Peregrine
We’re on a cruise out of Brixham when we’re told there’s a male Peregrine Falcon perched overlooking Torbay. There are only 1,500 …
The changing of the guard
The Woodpecker pair I’ve been enjoying watching have a routine. I need to watch them for many more hours before I can …
Bill Opticians
This is the gloriously Art Deco building which houses Bill Opticians in Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot. Fabulous, isn’t it?
The great black duck from Hudson’s Bay
Wee were delighted by a visit from “The great black duck from Hudson’s Bay” in Torbay last week. A Surf Scoter was …
Woodpeckers at dawn
I’m not that keen on getting up early unless I have a purpose. I need to be driven by a need other …
Ash downfall
Here’s a Cramp Ball. There are hundreds of them here. They love dead or dying Ash trees. I’ve been taking morning walks …
St George’s Mushrooms
Last week I said we should be getting St George’s Mushrooms soon. This week, they arrived. By the side of the wide …
The Richard Hopkins
I’ve been sketching in Newton Abbot again, this time the local Wetherspoons pub, The Richard Hopkins. Here’s what the framed history inside …
The gate at Lustleigh Cleave
I’m a big fan of farmers. They’re an endless source of resourcefulness. Whether it’s emergency repairs, using recycled materials, or simple engineering …
Diving Goosander
Goosanders love a bit of snorkelling and free diving. This one is taking the plunge at Daisy Nook Country Park. The teeth …
Ludlow
I’ve wanted to visit Ludlow ever since reading AE Housman’s poetry in A Shropshire Lad when I was 18. It’s taken a …
Boomtown Fair portrait #2
Here’s another of my photographs from the immersive music festival Boomtown Fair, held in Hampshire. I love the energy of the place, …
Why are immature gulls so hard to identify?
There are several groups of birds which seem impossible to separate without years of knowledge in the field.
The Pharmacy
I’ve been sketching in Newton Abbot again. There are still many historic places despite the widespread destruction of our heritage. The Pharmacy …
Arctic Tern feeding
A memory of last summer with the Arctic Terns of Westray. There were so few chicks in this colony that the remaining …
Dacrymyces deliquescens
There’s a tiny orange fungus on this wet rotting wood. I recognise it from my childhood. It can only be Dacrymyces deliquescens. …