Welcome to my tent for the week
We’ve arrived in Machakos county in Kenya after our journey from Nairobi. We’ve passed one of the largest shanty towns and seen …
Mango and matcha with a Black Kite display
It’s lunchtime on our trip to Wamunyu in Kenya and the out-of-town shopping centre is modern and wholesome. There are security checks …
Bushbuck
There’s what looks like an East African Bushbuck on the forest edge. They’re elusive and solitary and brilliantly camouflaged. It’s unusual to …
The fascination of Anubis Baboons
Being a Baboon seems like quite a fun lifestyle. At least if you’re a male. There’s a nursing female carrying an infant …
Elephant bath time
It’s Elephant bath time at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi. There’s excitement in the small, quiet crowd as a herd of …
Notty the Zebra
We’re at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi for a brief visit. We’ve stopped off on our way to our volunteering assignment …
Tytan the baby Black Rhino
I’m in Kenya volunteering on a literacy programme with a charity called Kenya Connect. We’re on our way from Nairobi, heading east …
My first day in Kenya
I’m off to Kenya volunteering on a literacy programme based in Wamunyu, two-hours east of Nairobi. I’m going to be with colleagues …
Swallow on a mission
It’s mud-hut-building time for the Swallows of Westray. Whether it’s a new nest or urgent repairs to an old one, the Swallows …
Tree Sparrow
I’ve seen Tree Sparrows before. I visited Tree Sparrow farm to see them. That’s how sadly depleted their population is.
Rainbow Stormbird
Starling is a good name, but I prefer the title Rainbow Stormbird. I think it suits them better. They’re busy collecting food …
The pace of life
I recently filmed a bird at 120 frames per second. I decided to slow it down to 24 frames a second to …
Dramatic chase as Sandwich Tern pursued by Arctic Skuas
It’s a stunning day at Mae Sands, or, as one Westray inhabitant insists it is called, the Sands o’ Maesan. It’s a …
What to do on arrival
What do you do first when you arrive in a place you know well. It could be home, or your good friend’s …
Ruddy Turnstones
No, I’m not being rude about Turnstones. That’s their full name. I love to see them skipping over the waves, their wings …
Fast and scratchy
This Common or Greater Whitethroat has a grey head and a very white throat. That means it’s a male. It’s fast and …
Glossy
There’s a Glossy Ibis overhead again. That brown striped head probably means it’s a non-breeding adult. It’s heading across the water at …
Early nesters
Grey Herons are early nesters. There’s a lot of growing to do for a Heron, to get from egg-sized to a full-size …
Cormorant
A Cormorant emerges from the water just in front of the hide here at RSPB Otmoor. It’s still an amazing experience to …
Greylag
There’s a large pale grey goose flying past. It’s a Greylag Goose, the ancestor of the domesticated goose. This was taken at …
This day was not that day
Look carefully and there are a few pixels of Bittern in this photograph. One day I’ll get a stunning photograph of a …
Glossy Ibis
There’s a Glossy Ibis flypast at RSPB Otmoor and I’m here for it, in more ways than one. The Wildlife Trusts say, …
*uckoo
Just before my trip to Orkney, I managed to fit in a trip to Dartmoor and one of my favourite places for …
An early morning Peregrine
I’m used to the general impression, size, and shape of a Peregrine Falcon now. That means when I saw this one perched …
Hobby
Taking photographs in the middle of the day is often a bit disappointing. Just look at those shadows. The only thing lit …
High wire walker – with a twist
A Dunnock at RSPB Otmoor doing a display for a partner. A beautiful fluttering fan dance.
Territorial
Mute Swans get on well with one another until they don’t. Then they attack. And when they attack one another they are …
Goldfinch underwing
A fluttering Goldfinch landing on a small branch is a delight. The yellow pattern on the underwing is wonderful. The sadly infected …
Another Song Thrush broadcast
The song of the Song Thrush would be beautiful. If only it weren’t so repetitive. If only it weren’t so repetitive.
Fluffy feathers and sharp claws and beak
The tinkling of Goldfinches is approaching and I’m thrilled to see one perching nearby. I love their upright stance, and those fluffy …