Asymmetric Gondolas
On a recent trip to Venezia (Venice) I was fascinated to see that gondolas lean. They all have one side much larger …
On a recent trip to Venezia (Venice) I was fascinated to see that gondolas lean. They all have one side much larger …
From the age of five I was taught how to torture, mutilate and kill. I was instructed how to inflict the maximum …
It’s a dull day in Somerset but it’s enlivened by the sound of Linnets in the air. There’s a mobile flock exploring …
Seeing an original Paul Nash painting is always a revelation. His Totes Meer is a wonderful moonlit seascape of ruined German planes. …
A trip in dull weather with Birds of Poole Harbour gave me the chance to see a very distant Marsh Harrier while …
Herring Gulls love a good chase. If there’s a chance of kleptoparasitism, they’ll take it. This one seems to have been just …
There’s a Cycad in Kew. I love them. Just like conifers and the Gingko tree, Cycads are gymnosperms, which means their unfertilised …
They’re noisy, tiny, green and yellow, and at the top of a tree. The Siskins, Carduelis spinus, are here. There’s a large …
It’s spring and the Black-Headed Gulls are showing us just how unobservant the person who named them was. This one at RSPB …
The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a fascinating plant. I’ve kept one as a pot plant in the past, but was excited to …
A highlight of my trips to RSPB Lodmoor is the sight of Marsh Harriers flying over the reeds. Their languid flight, interspersed …
I was attempting to get my ducks in a row at RSPB Ham Wall as these Northern Shovelers had an energetic flypast. …
The white spot in the centre of the Robin’s breast is so intense, it’s often blown-out in photographs. If it’s brightly lit, …
There’s a tinkling I recognise in the trees. I see it as it flies down to a barbed wire fence. It’s a …
There’s a small brown object in the distance doing what Treecreepers do. It’s too far away for me to see any details, …
The trees surrounding us are full of noise. At first we can’t see what’s making the high-pitched sound, but we persist. High …
I spot a group of Mallard Ducks taking off from the water at RSPB Radipole. They’re a hundred metres away, but it’s …
A trip to RSPB Lodmoor in Weymouth revealed scrubby field edges, hedgerows and brambles full of Chiffchaffs. They were active in the …
I love to see winter Thrushes in the UK. They seem so wild and unrestrained and when I see them I feel …
There’s a beautiful piece of driftwood on the beach at Sidmouth. It’s the sort of thing which would become an essential structural …
I love to see Tufted Ducks. Here’s a close-up with an overview of the workings of their iridescent plumage: And here’s my …
A Little Egret overhead at the Lower Otter Restoration Project. I love the way the colour of their irises coordinates with their …
If teenagers did this, would it be called play? Two young Black-Headed Gulls are playing chase with a piece of vegetation. It’s …
I’ve seen Meadow Pipits and Rock Pipits before. I’ve even seen Tree Pipits. This is my first time seeing a Water Pipit. …
The other birds can see it before I can. They’re up in the air in a mad panic, flocking into a defensive …
I’ve come for the day to RSPB Lodmoor in Weymouth. It’s grey and dull and there’s little action from the wildlife but …
We are at Challacombe Farm when we see four Buzzards overhead. It’s that time of year again, when there are territorial battles …
There are two species of Cormorant found in the UK, the Common Cormorant and the Shag. This is a Shag. If you’re …
There’s a Rock Pipit on Brixham Breakwater. I love seeing them here, as they skit along the top of the breakwater, looping …
I can’t wait to see some Mediterranean Gulls in breeding plumage. Until then, I’ll just have to appreciate how handsome they are …