A fluffy Song Thrush in beautiful light
There’s a Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos, in the ditch opposite me. It’s in beautiful light and I can see every ripple of …
Goldcrest
There’s a Goldcrest in this Hawthorn. The tree is so close to bursting into flower that it’s erupting with winter-stored vitality. It’ll …
Who loves Slime Moulds?
I’ve just spotted something very exciting. This is Enteridium lycoperdon, the False Puffball, living in a damp wood near a stream and …
Louisiana Swamp Crayfish
There’s a creature from the black lagoon at Lago di Alviano in Italy. It’s a Crayfish, probably a Louisiana Swamp Crayfish, Procambarus …
Collared Dove
We were standing underneath a Long-Eared Owl roost in Italy, inspecting owl pellets, when a Collared Dove flew past. I couldn’t resist …
Cry “God for Harry, England and St George’s Mushrooms.”
Tomorrow is St George’s day, which is an important day in my calendar. That’s not because I’m particularly nationalistic, swept away with …
Catching flies
I’ve been for a long walk and need a sit down. I’m at the end of the path here and there’s a …
A Buzzard with its Crow shadow
Mobbing is something Carrion Crows manage to do on their own, without the need of a mob. There’s little rest for Buzzards …
Knocking on the door
Great Spotted Woodpeckers are knocking on the door at this time of year. You can hear them drumming in the last remnants …
Greylag
Greylag Geese pair for life most of the time. They’re a species where the male is generally larger. I wonder if these …
From tropical Africa to temperate South Devon
The Pied Flycatchers have landed. They’ve made it back from tropical Africa to a small wooded valley in South Devon. They are …
Sand Martins in flight
The light’s quite poor and it’s late afternoon turning to evening when I see that the Sand Martins over Stover Country Park …
Grey Heron ballet
The Grey Herons are busy at RSPB Otmoor. I’ve only seen Grey Heron nests in trees before in colonial Heronries. This pair …
When Chiffchaffs arrive
When Chiffchaffs arrive, it’s a joyous day. I celebrate their cheerful attempt at a call and delight in the arrival of spring. …
Hare today
I’m scanning the fields at RSPB Otmoor for a Crane. There’s been one reported here and I’d love to see it. Scattered …
Viviparous Lizards
I’ve been in a hide in RSPB Otmoor when someone asks me, “Have you seen the lizards?” She points to a log …
Osprey kerfuffle
I’m walking along the path by the side of the Lago di Alviano in Italy when I hear a kerfuffle on the …
Pettirosso
The name of the European Robin in Italian is il pettirosso. It means Red Breast. The scientific name of the Robin is Erithacus …
Spatola
The Eurasian Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia, is called La spatola in Italian. Italians clearly think it’s a spatula and not a spoon. The adults …
Sniping from the sidelines
A Snipe is one wader I can identify confidently. That’s clearly a very rash thing to say, since I’ve yet to get …
A Poiana from the hide
Italian bird hides seem to be so much better than ones in the UK. Why should that be? Has no-one in the …
A bird I’m still trying to identify
I took this photograph of a bird on the west coast of Papa Westray in Orkney last summer. At first I thought …
Crossbills
It was a thrill to spot a beautiful pair of Red Crossbills on Aylesbeare Common at the weekend. The male is the …
Gheppio
In Italian, the Common Kestrel is known as Gheppio, which is from the Latin, originally from the Ancient Greek for vulture. This …
Serins like a banana toffee whirl
There’s a bird singing like a Canary at the top of a tree at Lago di Alviano. It has the colours of …
Journeying south to spring and north to winter
I’ve spend a large part of my adult life travelling from the south of England, and more lately from the South West …
Scoiattolo!
There’s a Squirrel up in the trees here at Lago di Alviano. It must be Red Squirrel, because we’ve seen them here …
Hoodies
As we arrive at Parco della Caffarella there’s a Hooded Crow, called a Cornacchia here, frolicking in the flowers. I would have …
Cattle Egret with Sheep
I’m used to having trouble getting photographs of Cattle Egrets being Cattle Egrets. Here’s my Cattle Egret on a Horse shot: Today …
It’s a start…
I can still remember the excitement I felt when I saw my first Puffin on Westray. Naturally I couldn’t believe they were …