I’m just dabbling
There’s a Eurasian Teal plodding its way through the mud towards me at RSPB Lodmoor in Weymouth. I love how muddy its …
Fire in sunshine
I’ve never seen a family group of Bullfinches before, but we can see four in this tree. There are three bright pink …
Dead Man’s Fingers
It’s cold on Dartmoor but it’s always worth making it to Fingle Bridge. I’m looking forward to a pint in the pub …
The Pebble Worm
The word Crocodile means Pebble Worm, named because of its bumpy skin and elongated shape. This skeleton of a Nile Crocodile at …
Pee-wits and worm stroking
A weekend trip to RSPB Lodmoor was good for the soul and it was great to catch up with my friend Martin, …
Reed Bunting
Hello. You wouldn’t believe how difficult to see this Reed Bunting was. And even more difficult to point out to the Puffin …
Scratch
Sometimes you just need a really good scratch.
Mediterranean Gull 3PE0
There’s a Gull I’ve only seen a few times on the beach. It’s a Mediterranean Gull and it’s a beauty. Luckily it’s …
Giant Sequoias
A trip to the Natural History Museum in London is always a thrill. I love seeing all the dead things they’ve killed …
Laughing Gull
It was my birthday, so I decided to do something different – to go on a twitch. A twitch is the pursuit …
The Third Ladybird Book of British Birds – #17 The Great Crested Grebe
I’m currently reading the third volume of the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Times have changed: …
Splashing in mud
There are Black-Tailed Godwits on the Exe. I’m pleased to see them, but wish my knees weren’t as muddy as their ankles …
My peanuts bring all the Parakeets to the yard
It’s a delight to see Rose Ringed Parakeets in London, even if they are noisy and seriously out of place. This one …
The Great Northern Diver and the crab
Great Northern Divers are sleek and handsome characters. There are many around the coast of South Devon at the moment. This one …
Goldeneye
We’re told there’s a pair of Goldeneye when we arrive at RSPB Radipole. I’ve seen one before from a great distance and …
Money-making Marx
My son and I are having a trip to Highgate Cemetery, or I should say cemeteries, as there is an old one …
Urban Corvids
We’re got three species of corvids in this London park. Firstly, there’s the robust Carrion Crows, with their large beaks festooned with …
Curlew flypast
A chance encounter with a Curlew always improves my day. They’re my emotional connection to the wilderness we’ve lost.
Archaeopteryx
The Natural History Museum has some wonderful fossils, as well as casts of wonderful fossils faked to look real. Recognise this? Here’s …
London Squirrels
Grey Squirrels in London are almost fearless in some parks. I find them endlessly entertaining. This one appears to have an urgent …
The brown-headed Black-Headed Gull
We’ve had a bit of weather recently, so having a modicum of sunshine is an unexpected joy. As is this Black-Headed Gull: …
Seeing a Bearded Reedling for the first time
We’re on a mission to see a bird I’ve wanted to see since childhood, but never seen. The Puffin Whisperer wants to …
Egyptian Goose
The Egyptian Goose is an introduced species and has, naturally, escaped to form a naturalised population in the UK. There are now …
The Tower, the Walkie Talkie, the Shard and the Gherkin
We spent a while in London over the holidays and went for a stroll around the city on Christmas Day. Crossing Tower …
Mother and daughter
I’ve never been close to Red Foxes in daylight. I’ve seen them under amber street lights, alert to any danger, patrolling the …
Avocet
It’s late, but still quite light, when we arrive at the River Exe and I’m delighted to see an Avocet on the …
Snipe
I’ve never had a good view of a Snipe before. This time it’s different. We’re in a south-of-London park with a kind …
London Fox
We’ve been offered the chance to see some wild London Foxes while we’re in London. We can’t resist, so we’re up early …
2022 highlights of a wilder Italian life (part 2)
Being able to explore a natural world with different, unfamiliar species is a privilege. It was a thrill to visit Italy in …
2022 highlights of a wilder Italian life (part 1)
Hooded Crows and koinophilia In Rome in 2022 we could see 300 Hooded Crows in an evening in a single field, as …