A Shaggy Inkcap story
I’ve been enjoying looking through this 1947 copy of Edible and Poisonous Fungi from 1947. It has one of my favourite edible …
Fly Agarics and the Board of Agriculture
Here’s one of my recent purchases, Edible and Poisonous Fungi. What’s this? Bulletin No.23? The Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries? Published by …
Grey Heron
A trip to London for work, with an afternoon free, means I’m changing out of my suit in a toilet cubicle and …
Red Kite in the morning
As a teenager, I went on a biology field trip to Borth on the west Wales coast. We had a minibus trip …
An early morning
I’m not usually out early in the morning. You might have noticed that my blog contains many, many sunset photographs but precious …
Stumbling upon Short-Eared Owls
I volunteer for a children’s charity and we’re having a meeting of our trustees in Oxfordshire. I check a map and see …
Stare
Adult Starlings used to be known as Stares. It was the juveniles which were called Starlings. By the 16th Century, they were …
There, There, My Deer
There are Fallow Deer at Powderham Castle in South Devon. It’s not really a castle, with a motte and bailey, but more …
Egghead Mottlegill
There’s a beautiful domed fungus on this lump of poo on Dartmoor. Naturally I have to pick it up and have a …
Dog Stinkhorns
Dog Stinkhorns, Mutinus caninus, aren’t easy to find. It’s not just that they like growing in overgrown areas, it’s that they don’t …
Big Boletes
To find wild mushrooms at their peak you really need to visit a likely spot for them every three days. As they’re …
The oaks have tongues
We’re on an organised fungus foray with the Devon Fungus Group when our leader spots a Beefsteak Fungus, Fistulina hepatica, on a …
The Monks of Basle – a poem by Colonel John Hay
One of my favourite poets isn’t known today, and, when people do recognise his name, it’s not as a poet. Colonel John …
Woolly Milkcaps with fantastically fuzzy edges
There’s a beautiful pinkish-white mushroom on the floor in this Birch woodland. It’s got a marvellous fuzzy-jumper top. Gorgeous, isn’t it? It’s …
Chanterelles
When life gives you apricot-scented fungi, you’ve found Chanterelles.
Raven
Have you ever looked at a photograph and seen something in it which you didn’t see at the time you took it? …
Lovely Linnets in the garden
Each year at Einar, the Linnets build their nests and raise their chicks. It takes two weeks from laying to hatching and …
Yet more Puffins
I took so many photographs of Puffins this summer that I’ve not published even a fraction of my favourites, so here are …
Puffins chased by Arctic Skuas
A Puffin’s dinner is an Arctic Skua’s dinner. Arctic Skuas are hunting Puffins for their fish on Westray and they’re having intermittent …
Black Guillemots
Black Guillemots remind me of pigeons in their attitude and body shape. Maybe it’s the position of their wings? Maybe it’s the …
Teewhuppos
There’s an adult Lapwing calling near the farm track as we bobble along it. That’s odd because they normally just fly away. …
Mallimack life
Fulmars are my favourite birds to watch flying. They have an effortless confidence on the wind, and glide with stiff wings as …
One Arctic Skua evening
Arctic Skuas are one of my favourite birds. Their swept-back wings, hooked beaks and pointed tail feathers make a distinctive silhouette. I …
Pool Frog
There’s a Pool Frog in this reflection pool. I’m trying to take photographs of birds here, but this frog has diverted me …
More Puffins
I took more photographs of Puffins this summer than I can possibly post. So here are some of my unseen favourites. I …
Crested Tit
I’ve not seen a Crested Tit before. They live in pine forests in Scotland and that’s a habitat I’ve not spent a …
A Pied Flycatcher in the woods
There’s a Pied Flycatcher here: What a stunning bird. The Pied Flycatcher’s scientific name is Ficedula hypoleuca. The RSPB estimates there are …
A juvenile Song Thrush passes by
We’re obviously in a great spot here, in this bird hide in Slovenia. The species count is incredible and we’ve seen many …
Greenfinches
Adult Greenfinches are stunning birds. The intensity of their plumage in beautiful dappled light has to be experienced to be believed. Their …
Marsh Tit
There’s a beautiful Marsh Tit close by: Lovely, isn’t it? And such gorgeous light. It was a pleasure to have a few …