Cherry pie, almond or vanilla? What do Winter Heliotropes smell of?
There’s a plant I think I recognise on the industrial estate. It’s Butterbur; except it isn’t. The flowers look right but they’re …
Dunsford Daffodils
This year I haven’t been able to travel onto Dartmoor to see the Daffodil display at Dunsford Wood. They grow in profusion …
Black Headed Gulls
Gulls always look great against urban backdrops and bright colours. I photographed Herring Gulls on Bristol’s docks and loved the results. In …
Jackdaws
There’s a Jackdaw on the picnic lawn at Decoy Country Park. They’re endlessly entertaining, intelligent and wary. I’m waiting for it take …
One of my favourite photographs
This is one of my favourite photographs: Why? I like the shape of the body against the negative space which surrounds it …
Achenes of Old Man’s Beard
Old Man’s Beard is a plant I’ve never consciously seen in flower before. I’m determined to look for it this summer. I’ve …
Rats!
As we walk through the industrial estate I see a small, very cute, brown face with whiskers staring out of the undergrowth. …
One of the most important plants in the UK is also one of the most hated
Beautiful, isn’t it? Recognise it? It’s Ivy. It flowers when little else does and provides an essential stop-gap of nectar. It has …
1380 kilometres from home
We amble down to Newton Abbot Quay. There’s a raucous squabble under the bridge as Black Headed Gulls compete for food. “Look …
Whitethroat
Here are a couple of photographs of a Common Whitethroat, Curruca communis, which I took last summer. It’s a chunky warbler with …
A Sparrowhawk amongst the Pigeons
We’re at Newton Abbot Quay again for a daily walk. Something has to be done, given the amount of pasta we’re eating. …
Return of the vagabond waif
We’re back in the tiny scrubby woods for our daily walk. It’s full of litter. Imagine a world where every sip and …
Bumbarrels on parade
There’s a small group of Long-Tailed Bushtits calling overhead. They’re vibrating a ‘Tseee-Tseee’ call amongst the empty branches as they move through. …
The Elder jellies
I’m tramping through scrub on a path used by dog walkers and alienated teenagers. It’s only rubbish which catches my eyes and …
From Siberia with love
The Puffin Whisperer comes back from a walk and turns the back of her camera towards me to show me a bird …
Crossed mandibles
Beak deformities are quite common amongst birds. This Woodpigeon has crossed mandibles. I’d expect it to interfere with eating but it doesn’t …
Take off
It seems that only one day in every seven is sunny at the moment. And the days are short. So I’ve got …
Catkins
On my walk I grabbed a few shots in passing of glorious catkins in warm evening light. It’s reassuring to see trees …
Blushing
One of the most common fungi in UK woodlands is The Blusher. I’ve just found this photograph I took of one back …
Herring Gulls
Herring Gulls are fabulous to watch. I’ve enjoyed taking photographs of them in urban areas. There’s something quite alien about their presence. …
There are no words
If you ask this swan what species it is, it won’t tell you. It’s Mute.
Black-Headed Gulls at the Quay
Staying local for your exercise is difficult if brownfield sites are built upon, public spaces are full and green spaces are privately …
Sexton
This summer in Orkney we met up with two friends and fellow enthusiasts for a moth-trapping evening. I loved setting up their …
Staying local
In the first lockdown it was revealing just how much nature was all around me. I didn’t need to spend ages preparing …
A world of joy
If you can possibly manage it, get a magnifying glass. It turns the world into a magical one full of joy. Just …
Kitchen drawer wildlife
Woodlice. There are 3,500 species in the world and between 35 and 40 in the UK. They’re animals which many children know. …
Puffin icon
It was a very Puffin Christmas here. I received a Puffin Icon from the Puffin Whisperer. She used a solid wooden block …
There’s more wildlife on industrial estates than in the countryside
Last April I took a cycle ride with my son. We went up some of the toughest hills in the area, and …
A Fulmar at the skeleton house
A Fulmar from summer, sitting pretty on the top of a wall in the skeleton house. Its beached carcass and exposed ribs …
2020 highlights of a wilder Italian life
I spent most of 2020 on my own. The two trips I had booked to Italy were cancelled and I clearly wasn’t …