Lone tree
It was foggy.
Lapwings – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
As a child I remember seeing upwards of 500 Lapwings in a field on many occasions. I remember the ‘pee-wit’ sound they …
Chocolate Headed Freshwater Gull
I remember reading as a small child that Black Headed Gulls don’t have black heads; they’re chocolate brown, and only that colour …
Greenfinch – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
It’s forty years since I started my nature notebooks. I was twelve years old and lived in a tiny terrace in Oldham. …
House Sparrow – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
I grew up in a tiny two-bedroom terraced house in Oldham. There, any bird in the back yard was a delight. Sparrows …
Kestrel – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
I can see a male Kestrel in the treetops as the sun sets near Liddington Castle. It’s forty years since I saw …
Water Rail
Water Rails are such skulking birds. They seem so shy and secretive. In fact I’d never seen one until today when I …
Wren – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
When I was twelve years old I drew this Wren: Now it’s forty years later and I’m fifty-two years old and I …
Blue Tits – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I was twelve when I sketched these Blue Tits. It’s a parent feeding a juvenile bird: Today I’m in …
Hooded Crow – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Hooded crows are fascinating birds. Here’s one I photographed in the magnificent grounds of Villa Borghese in Rome. Forty years ago I …
Wren on a chilly morning
There are millions of Wrens in the UK and yet they are so elusive. Today’s cold weather seems to have brought them …
Reed Bunting – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
It’s forty years since I first saw a Reed Bunting. I was so excited about seeing such a rare (to me) bird …
Bitter cold
It was bitterly cold out on the Exminster Marshes this morning.
Lawyer’s Wigs – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Shaggy Ink Caps are a common fungus. They are white with brown scales on the cap. Here’s the entry I made in …
Canada Geese
Today I had a trip to Exminster Marshes. There were 1,500 Canada Geese on the fields.
Velvet Shank – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I spotted some beautiful fungi on a rotten stump. Here’s the entry I made in my nature notebooks: Today …
Herring Gull
I’m currently searching for Herring Gulls so I can take some close-up photographs of them. As you do. I took some close-up …
Rome’s Rose-Ringed Parakeets
In Rome they are noisy, colourful and gregarious. They fill the parks and streets on glorious sunny days and love nothing better …
Jackdaws – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I was on holiday with my family. I still remember the thrill of my mum calling me to say …
Herring Gull – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
The distribution of Herring Gulls must have changed significantly over the last forty years. I was 12 years old when I wrote …
Another Blackbird – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
I was thirteen years old when I wrote and drew in my nature notebooks about Blackbirds. ‘Sexual dimorphism’ is what I wrote; …
Coot – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I obviously had very little to say when I saw a Coot, as this was my entry in my …
Magpie – forty years ago in my nature notebook
I’m on a personal journey to rediscover the natural world I described in my nature notebooks when I was a 12 year …
Carrion Crow – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I was a young boy with a fascination for nature and was dedicated to filling in my nature notebooks. …
Mute Swan – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I was busy filling in my nature notebooks. I wrote detailed notes in blue biro in my lined notepad …
Blackbirds – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
I was twelve years old when I started my nature notebooks. Despite my awful handwriting I noted down all the features which …
Black Headed Gull – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago as a boy I was happy keeping my nature notebooks. On holiday in Wales I saw a Black Headed …
Song Thrush – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I was a small child on a mission – to see wildlife and to feel the joy of observing …