Columba palumbus
There’s a bloated Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus nearby. I can hear it cooing.
Goldfinch – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Exactly forty years ago today I was only just a teenager when I saw my first Goldfinch. I spent every available minute …
The high cost of being bright
Chaffinches are bright birds, or at least the males are. Their colour comes at a high cost; the cost of using so …
Peacock Butterfly
I find it impossible to tell what species most butterflies are until they stop somewhere and stay still for a few seconds. …
A new body on old legs
Blue Tits are such bright and youthful-looking birds they are a constant delight to see. Even the adults look as appealing as …
“My boyfriend is hotter than me”
Female Mandarin Ducks are stunningly beautiful birds. Yet, because their plumage is so subtle, their crest so sleek and their male counterparts …
“Oh look – there’s a Siskin.”
“Oh look – there’s a Siskin”, I say to myself as a small green finch with yellow stripes appears. I’m suddenly not …
Brimstone without the Treacle
It’s still only March and yet there are butterflies in this woodland glade. I can see they are an unnerving sulphur yellow …
Ola Gorie – beauty and tradition in Orkney
I knew Ola Gorie’s jewellery before I knew Orkney. Ola is a really important figure to me and to countless others as …
Buzzards – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Seeing a Buzzard was a thrilling experience when I was 12 years old. So much so that I noted it down in …
Moorhen
A trip to Bowling Green Marsh is thankfully not wasted, despite the grey and overcast weather, as there’s a Moorhen on the …
Great White Egret
The Italians call Great White Egrets L’airone bianco maggiore. This sign tells us what we should be looking for: a large heron …
Jay – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago, before I was a teenager, I started keeping detailed nature notebooks. They were full of scientific facts. I kept …
Chiff Chaff
Chiff Chaffs are difficult to see. They are small, they are camouflaged, and they move so quickly that just when you see …
Martin the fisherman
I’m in Italy on the trail of some interesting birds. The signs are good, literally, as there’s a big three-dimensional sign with …
Summer plumage in winter
The Black Headed Gull is a wonderful, delicate bird with fabulous plumage. In the breeding season its head turns a shade of …
Great Crested Grebe – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
They have been mouldering in my loft for the last forty years but I’ve just got out my old pencil sketches of …
Volpe
I’m in Italy in a nature reserve and we’re looking for a tame fox, or Volpe as the Italians have it. All …
Lines and circles
Rock lines and circles surround us in a sea cave on Westray.
Little Grebe
I’ve never seen a Little Grebe before but when I see the most ridiculous-looking pocket-sized fluffy duck-like bird I know what it …
Run, rabbit, run
If you’re interested in wildlife you may wonder why so much of it is so difficult to see. Why are animals so …
Coots – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I made a pencil sketch of a Coot on its nest. I was inspired by seeing an adult with …
Kestrel – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
There’s the familiar shape of a Kestrel in the treetops. I could recognise one in my sleep just from the posture. Looking …
Chaffinch – surrounded by single Swedish females
The scientific name of the Common Chaffinch has been Fringilla coelebs ever since the great Swedish namer and classifier Carl Linnæus called …
Coypu – another invasive alien species
Walking alongside the stream we see an enormous blunt-nosed, rat-like creature swimming with its nostrils held just above the water. It must …
The Italian Chapel has twins
Orkney’s Italian Chapel was once part of a large complex of Nissen huts with tracks and gardens. For many years it has …
Black Redstart
I love Black Redstarts; they behave so much like Robins. Both are members of the same family, being Old World Flycatchers. Here’s …
The Castle – a poem by Edwin Muir
I’ve always felt a close connection to the poetry of Edwin Muir. His themes include loss and betrayal, life and death, and …
Barbed wire sunset
It’s only a small climb to the top of the field at Einar, but the view is so rewarding at this time …
Wren – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Wrens are such beautiful birds. They are so quick, so elusive and so secretive it’s a delight to see one appear from …