Waving the Yellow Flag
The ponds at RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset are alive with Yellow Irises. Iris pseudacorus
A Damselfly with a blue tail
There’s a Damselfly with a blue stripe on its tail over the water in Somerset: It’s a Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Ischnura elegans.
Great Crested Grebe
There’s a Great Crested Grebe on the lake at Ham Wall RSPB Reserve in Somerset one minute, and the next, it’s gone. …
Hairy Dragonfly
I was wondering what this hairy dragonfly was called: Then I found out it was called the Hairy Dragonfly. Some people are …
Lapwings displaying
There are a few Lapwings flying around RSPB Greylake in Somerset today. These two drew a wonderful image in the air.
Goldfinches building a nest
There’s a lot of twittering and chattering in the trees in the back garden. It’s a pair of Goldfinches who are busy …
Oak Apples
There’s an apple on an oak tree over there. It’s not a fruit though, it’s a gall caused by the Oak Apple …
Variable Damselfly
There’s a Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum near the pond. They fly from May to August. The British Dragonfly Society (yes, there really …
Blackcap in the trees
Walking around RSPB Ham Wall Nature Reserve in Somerset I can hear singing. It must be a warbler of some sort but …
Green Veined White butterfly
“Keep still for a minute!” “Thanks!”
Linnets
The number of Linnets in Britain’s countryside has halved since I was a boy. I’m going to make the most of their company while they are still here.
A walk on Orley Common
Orley Common is a true common – absolutely no-one owns it or has ever owned it – it belongs to us all. …
Pheasant
Male Pheasants don’t do camouflage. This one’s face is like a beacon in the field.
Great White Egret at RSPB Ham Wall
It was 2012 when Great White Egrets first bred on the Somerset levels. Today there’s a thriving population. They look majestic against …
A Blackcap like a fine wine
I’m tickled by this description of a Blackcap’s song: “The Blackcap’s song lacks the Blackbird or Thrush-like phrases of the Garden Warbler …
Basal knob
That huge lump on the base of this Mute Swan’s beak is called a basal knob. Knowing that, however, tells you nothing …
Chasing a Four-Spotted Chaser
I’m chasing a Four-Spotted Chaser dragonfly. They’re very active this morning in the Somerset marshes. It takes an age for me to …
There’s a teddy bear staring at me
I’ve driven for six hours to Norwich for a single day’s work. It’s now five o’clock, I’ve finished work, and it’s time …
Two top predators over the Somerset Levels
There are two top predators flying over the Somerset Levels today. A Marsh Harrier and an Apache helicopter. The Marsh Harrier is …
Whitethroat
I was delighted to spot this delightful male Whitethroat. It’s another fascinating migratory warbler which has spent our winter in Africa, south …
An Italian Prisoner of War, beachcombing, 75 years ago
Orkney had a substantial Italian Prisoner of War population in the Second World War. They were specially commandeered for building work to …
“Look for singing birds perched on the outside of a bush.”
The RSPB’s website says that if you want to find Sedge Warblers you should “Look for singing birds perched on the outside …
The Lesser Kestrels of Matera #4
Photography still includes the principal fields of taking and developing images; it’s just that now they are digital and the development is …
Black Headed Gull
Bright skies, clear water, a fresh breeze and beautiful Black Headed Gulls.
Chiff Chaff
Chiff Chaffs are beautiful birds. They look almost identical to Willow Warblers to me. I’d need a high-powered telephoto lens to see …
Lesser by name, great by nature
Lesser Black Backed Gulls are magnificent creatures. They are noticeably darker on the back and wings than the more familiar Herring Gull …
Dinosaurs fly among us
If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the dinosaurs, here they are, all around us. These Mallard Ducklings have hatched from eggs …
Love amongst the bushes
A male Blue Tit has just fed its mate. A clutch of healthy eggs is on its way.
A Pipit up a tree
I can see a Pipit up a tree. Could it be… A Tree Pipit?
Nuts!
This Grey Squirrel is one of the lucky ones. Only 25% of Grey Squirrels survive their first year. Only 45% of the …