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Nature Notebooks, Page 3

Melodious Warbler - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Melodious

I’m thinking back to a glorious summer in Italy, where I noticed a loud song coming from the bushes in Parco della …

Hen Harrier - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

About turn

I love the way that Hen Harriers can turn so quickly. The combination of strong wings and a long tail mean they …

Grey Heron - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Up to your ankles

There’s a Grey Heron up to its ankles in the River Tone. Snacks are on its mind. Fishy ones. Or maybe I’m …

Grey Heron - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Heron on the weir

There’s a Grey Heron at the base of the weir. It appears to be a good place for fish as it’s scooped …

Kew Gardens - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Victoria amazonica

Giant Waterlilies are so fabulous that Kew Gardens built a Waterlily House just to house them. I like the way that Kew …

Kew Gardens - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Bamboo at Kew

The Giant Bamboo at Kew looks like Asparagus to me. They’re both monocotyledonous plants, which means they’ve only got one leaf in …

Plastic in the canal - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A load of rubbish

Plastic. It’s everywhere. The only solution is not to produce it in the first place. Much of it seems to be drinks …

Autumn Leaves in the River Tone - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Leaves on the Tone

As another leaf heads down the River Tone and is about to swoosh down the weir, I think of all of the …

Lycoperdon perlatum - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Woodland gem-studded marvels

It’s 47 years ago today that I first noted down Common Puffballs in my nature notebooks. The tiny gem-like spikes on the …

Autumn Leaves in the River Tone - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Leaf boats

Watching autumn leaves float by on the River Tone is hypnotic. It’s almost a fitting seasonal compensation for sitting here for hours …

Autumn Leaves in the River Tone - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Autumn leaf

An autumn leaf on the weir on the River Tone. I’ve had a great weekend with my friend Martin in Taunton. We …

Scotland - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Ripples

I’m exploring the north coast of Scotland and it’s stunning. The weather has been wonderful, the people are friendly, the roads well …

Long-Tailed Bushtit - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Bumbarrels

I can hear the Bumbarrels calling. There’s a distinctive contact call which they use as family groups move from tree to tree. …

Yellow Brain Fungus - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Yellow Brain Fungus

There are Gorse bushes here in Emsworthy Mire with Yellow Brain Fungus, Tremella mesenterica, growing on them. Fabulous, isn’t it? It’s a fungus …

Slow worm - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Slow Worm

It was the 10th October when I lifted a piece of corrugated iron to see if there might be a reptile still …

Rotten post - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Rotten post

Travelling around the Flow Country in the north of mainland Scotland I spotted a post with a lot to say.

Whooper Swans - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Whoopers

I’ve not seen a Whooper Swan before so it’s a thrill to spot a couple on the Loch of Swartmill. They’re handsome …

Hen Harrier - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Harrying

My favourite sight is a Hen Harrier harrying.

Wheatear - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Lookout

Northern Wheatear are powerful birds and migrate to Africa for our winter. It’s astonishing that so soon after being an egg they …

Arctic Tern - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Diving Arctic Tern

Something I enjoyed this summer was taking multiple exposures of some of the bird species on Westray and creating composite images from …

The Flow Country - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The Flow Country

RSPB Scotland Forsinard Flows is part of Europe’s largest blanket bog. It’s mile after mile of damp, squishy preserved vegetation, in many …

Black Guillemot with fish - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Flatfish

What’s actually happening isn’t what appears to be happening. It’s laughing at the other one’s fish flapping in the wind, isn’t it? …

Arctic Terns - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A family affair

An Arctic Tern family from this summer. I wonder where they are now? I suspect they’ll be somewhere on the way to …

Swallow - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Swallow shuteye

When the sun shines in Orkney, it’s best to make good use of it. This Swallow agreed.

Eider Duck - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Crab for dinner

Crabs are powerful crustaceans and can give anyone a nasty nip. Eider Ducks, or Dunters as they are known here in Orkney, …

Arctic Terns - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Aerial ballet

I’ve been enjoying reviewing some of my images from Orkney Mainland taken this summer and this one, from a sequence I took …