The Swan’s nest
I’m walking through a narrow walkway in the reeds, looking for Reed Warbler’s nests, when I come across a Swan-made clearing in …
The Third Ladybird Book of British Birds – #9 The House Sparrow
I’m currently reading the third volume of the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Times have changed: …
Pied piping Wagtails
There’s a noisy Pied Wagtail family on the River Lemon in South Devon. I’m enjoying their fluttering, wagging, calling and feeding antics. …
Dartford Warblers on Aylesbeare Common
A trip to the Exeter Vaccination Centre was my morning appointment. It’s only seven minutes by car from there to RSPB Aylesbeare …
Noise to weight ratio
Wrens have one of the highest noise to weight ratios amongst birds. I know some people like that.
Buzzard over Dartmoor
I’m hidden in the bushes waiting for Cuckoos when I see a Buzzard heading straight towards me up the hill. It veers …
Orange Redstarts and purple Bluebells
“When will I have time for Redstarts?” I asked a few weeks ago. Well, today is the answer. I’m at Emsworthy Mire …
The Third Ladybird Book of British Birds – #8 The Whitethroat
I’m currently reading the third volume of the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Times have changed: …
An inability to cope with nature
Social media has polarised society. We’ve never had such a glorious opportunity to engage with people we fundamentally disagree with. It makes …
Greenfinch
Greenfinches still seem exotic to me.
A Mining Bee volcano spoil heap
A trip to Emsworthy Mire is always a good day, even when the weather isn’t nice. Today it’s lovely weather and the …
Swift succession
These Swifts aren’t really in formation. In fact there’s only one Swift. I took five photographs in swift succession and merged them …
Golden ducklings
There’s something wonderful about the light this evening. It’s very warm and very clear. There’s been a lot of rain recently and …
The Third Ladybird Book of British Birds – #7 The Brambling
I’m currently reading the third volume of the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Today it’s the …
“Such are these base ephemera, so born, To die before the next revolving morn”
There’s a Mayfly on my arm. The poet George Crabbe wrote about Mayflies over 200 years ago in 1785. He compared the …
Magpie
Magpies are hated by many bird lovers. People love small, fluffy songbirds and want to protect them. Magpies are clever corvids which …
Bluebells and Bear’s Garlic
I love this Bluebell wood. These are native Bluebells with their thin stems and nodding heads. Their colour is so intense at …
Who lives in a house like this?
There’s one of the biggest nests I’ve seen up this tree in the centre of the wood. It must be the nest …
A fledgling Mistle Thrush in the Devon wood
I can hear the Mistle Thrush alarm call again. Either that or an over-enthusiastic football fan is using a rattle. I spotted …
Is this Robin male or female?
It’s a common question on social media. Ashley is “Just interested to know”. There are hundreds of examples of people who are …
A river nest and bath time
Who lives in a house like this? It’s a huge domed nest made of moss in a river bank. It’s a Dippers’ …
When will I have time for Redstarts?
One early morning there’s a male Redstart in the wood. It’s very distant but I can hear it clearly. It’s far away …
An Artist’s Conk on an evening trespass
There’s a lovely woodland nearby. It seems as large as any of the local public-access parks and yet it is privately owned. …
Linnet
There’s a small flock of Linnets on Yarner Heath. I hide in a gorse bush and wait for them. And one appears. …
Wasps would chew wood
There’s a wasp busily chewing the face off a wooden sign in the woodland. It’s making paper, which wasps have been doing …
An Osprey on the Teign
The River Teign in South Devon is beautiful shortly after dawn. There’s been a sequence of very high tides recently, and I …
Cuckoo!
I’ve taken some reasonable photographs of Cuckoos in the past, despite the dull weather on my days off.
Kingfisher on the Lemon
The Dippers are resting so I decide to wander upstream and experience the sound of the water, the bubble of fish squirming …
Blue Tit in Blackthorn blossom
Blue Tits are one of our most decorative birds. If only we could see them as they see each other. The males …
Early morning Song Thrush in the dew
I don’t usually do early mornings, but I find that not sleeping well helps. I’m up with the Thrush this morning; the …