Falco naumanni
We’re in Matera to see the Lesser Kestrels. We’ve booked the room in the hotel which has three small terraces and the …
Pallid Swifts
I love seeing the Swifts swirling overhead in Matera. There are screaming chases, flights which end in mating while clinging to buildings, …
Yes, we’re in Matera again
We are in the oldest continuously inhabited city on Earth, Matera in Basilicata in the south of Italy. It’s possible to walk …
Arco Naturale
The rocks are massive, towering over nearby trees, and giving glorious glimpses of turquoise seas far below.
Quick sally
As a child I saw a Spotted Flycatcher. I was thrilled and went back home determined to draw it from memory. I …
Whitethroat
There’s a bird I think is a Common Whitethroat, Curruca communis, in the bushes here in Capri. The light here is so …
Searching for Spotted Flycatchers
Today I’m determined to get some decent photographs of Spotted Flycatchers. We’re on Capri for a few days and I have a …
Honey Buzzard, Gecko, Spotted Flycatchers and cornetti
It’s early morning when I look out of our hotel window in Capri and see a raptor above the trees. I grab …
A complete lack of distinguishing features
We’ve driven from Rome to Napoli, have abandoned the car and caught a ferry to the island of Capri for a couple …
There’s a beetle-shaped hole in our lives
In the UK the species Trichodes alvearius and another, the Bee-Eating Beetle, Trichodes apiarius, “Have not been seen since the 19th century and are likely to be extinct.”
“Gruccione!”
We’re walking in Broken Tower Meadow, il Pratone di Torre Spaccata when the Puffin Whisperer says “Gruccione”. I recognise the name. It’s …
I’m a big fan of garden pests
Whenever I search the Internet for an invertebrate, unless it’s rare, there’s always a result which is “How do I get rid …
Thousands of orchids as far as the eye can see
Walking around il Pratone di Torre Spaccata in Rome we spot a Long-Lipped Tongue Orchid, Serapias vomeracea. Then we spot another, and …
‘Shrike’ she shrieks!
We’re walking in il Pratone di Torre Spaccata (Broken Tower Meadow) in Rome when I hear the Puffin Whisperer shout ‘Shrike!’ That’s …
What sort of a name is Zitting Cisticola?
I’m in Italy for a couple of weeks and, although I’ve got work to do, I’m having a few trips out to …
Dinosaur feet
Seeing a scaly foot emerging from this Mute Swan’s plumage is a great reminder of the evolution of birds from theropod dinosaurs. …
Tree Pipit in flight
Well, it’s not the parachute display flight I was looking for, but it is a Tree Pipit in flight. So that’s something. …
The Cheerful Cincia
Check an English bird book and they’ll probably tell you that the call of a Great Tit sounds like “Teacher, Teacher”. That’s …
Wheatear
Wheatears are very wary birds. They bounce away to the next perch as soon as you approach. Walking along a footpath or …
Fluttering parachute display
I spent an hour last week searching for the Tree Pipit on Yarner Heath. I’ve seen it there before, and photographed it …
The Pole Jumper
A trip to Trendlebere Down gives us a chance to photograph Stonechats. This female had just eaten a bee and was doing …
Hummingbird Hawkmoth
It’s always a thrill to see a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. They’re dizzyingly fast and brain-achingly difficult to photograph. This one was in quite …
The eggs have hatched
Last year I was disappointed when the two Long-Tailed Tits nests I found were also found by predators. That meant there was …
Wrens’ nest
Last year I found a Wren’s nest, high in a tree in a wasteland in Rome. It was in an old hole, …
Troglodyte
A troglodyte is a cave-dweller. The Wren’s scientific name is Troglodytes troglodytes. That made sense to the 12 year old me when …
Feeding your pregnant partner
It’s a lot of effort eating for two. This female Robin is being fed by her mate so she can pop an …
Goldfinch
There’s a beautiful high-pitched tinkling from the branch above me. It’s a glorious Goldfinch, one of my favourite birds. I could listen …
Home-building
These Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are busy excavating. Here’s the female inspecting her handiwork after a long session of extracting wood from their …
Sunset Starlings
That orange sky was enough and yet the Starlings made it even more of an experience.
Catching flies
I love this time of year. I can feel the sap rising all around me. The insects which this Chiffchaff feeds on …