The Two-Headed Calf
A trip to any natural history museum is always a thrill to me. I loved the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History …
Even Pheasants are ‘Queer’ now according to Pink News
The Doctrine of ‘Queer’ Signatures I’m not in the habit of reading Pink News, the website which is neither pink nor news. …
Rettile ittiosauro
There’s an Ichthyosaur fossil displayed at the Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia. They evolved around 250 million years ago and some survived …
Gusci di molluschi
I was immediately drawn to this arrangement of fossil shells in the Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia. Glorious, isn’t it? I …
Tentacles
As a child I never understood why people said an octopus had tentacles. Surely they’re octacles? An octopus’s tentacles are multi-function. Just …
Trilobite con pista
‘Trilobite con pista’, it says. No, it’s not an item on the Italian menu in the restaurant at lunch time, but the …
Gay Times introduces: Tranimals!
You may know Peter Tatchell best for his views on reducing the age of consent and on sexual relationships with children. He’s …
Fossil ferns and horsetails
I’m astonished every time I see detail in fossils. Their age, the heat and the pressure they have been subjected to, and …
The trophy room
A visit to the natural history museum in Venice can be a bit of a shock for those unprepared for a full-on …
Chimera
A trip to Venice isn’t complete without at least two hours visiting the Museo de la historia naturale. As well as dinosaur …
A dull day enlivened with a sprinkle of Linnets
It’s a dull day in Somerset but it’s enlivened by the sound of Linnets in the air. There’s a mobile flock exploring …
Totes Meer – by Paul Nash
Seeing an original Paul Nash painting is always a revelation. His Totes Meer is a wonderful moonlit seascape of ruined German planes. …
A Marsh Harrier on the marsh
A trip in dull weather with Birds of Poole Harbour gave me the chance to see a very distant Marsh Harrier while …
The chase
Herring Gulls love a good chase. If there’s a chance of kleptoparasitism, they’ll take it. This one seems to have been just …
Cycad
There’s a Cycad in Kew. I love them. Just like conifers and the Gingko tree, Cycads are gymnosperms, which means their unfertilised …
Siskins in Alder
They’re noisy, tiny, green and yellow, and at the top of a tree. The Siskins, Carduelis spinus, are here. There’s a large …
The brown-headed Black-Headed Gull springs forth
It’s spring and the Black-Headed Gulls are showing us just how unobservant the person who named them was. This one at RSPB …
Tipitiwitchet
The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a fascinating plant. I’ve kept one as a pot plant in the past, but was excited to …
Marsh Harrier over the reeds
A highlight of my trips to RSPB Lodmoor is the sight of Marsh Harriers flying over the reeds. Their languid flight, interspersed …
Three Shovels
I was attempting to get my ducks in a row at RSPB Ham Wall as these Northern Shovelers had an energetic flypast. …
Robert
The white spot in the centre of the Robin’s breast is so intense, it’s often blown-out in photographs. If it’s brightly lit, …
Tinkling in the trees
There’s a tinkling I recognise in the trees. I see it as it flies down to a barbed wire fence. It’s a …
Treecreeper
There’s a small brown object in the distance doing what Treecreepers do. It’s too far away for me to see any details, …
Twittering Siskins
The trees surrounding us are full of noise. At first we can’t see what’s making the high-pitched sound, but we persist. High …
Quackers
I spot a group of Mallard Ducks taking off from the water at RSPB Radipole. They’re a hundred metres away, but it’s …
Chiffing and chaffing
A trip to RSPB Lodmoor in Weymouth revealed scrubby field edges, hedgerows and brambles full of Chiffchaffs. They were active in the …
Redwing
I love to see winter Thrushes in the UK. They seem so wild and unrestrained and when I see them I feel …
Tufties
I love to see Tufted Ducks. Here’s a close-up with an overview of the workings of their iridescent plumage: And here’s my …
Little Egret
A Little Egret overhead at the Lower Otter Restoration Project. I love the way the colour of their irises coordinates with their …
Playful
If teenagers did this, would it be called play? Two young Black-Headed Gulls are playing chase with a piece of vegetation. It’s …