
Old Carrot-Face is noisy today
Oystercatchers are a noisy fact of life here on Westray. There’s not a spot of coastline which isn’t guarded by some zealous …
Oystercatchers are a noisy fact of life here on Westray. There’s not a spot of coastline which isn’t guarded by some zealous …
The Orkney name for Ringed Plover is Sandy Laverock. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful bird. They appear to be always …
Bonxie is the name for the Great Skua, Stercorarius skua, here in Orkney. It’s the Norse name for them. If you’ve ever …
A walk up the west coast of Westray revealed several pairs of Wheatear, which are very active at the moment. They’re exceptionally …
I’m at least a mile away from the Arctic Tern colony here when one passes overhead. It’s clearly not found enough to …
We spent an amazing evening with the Scootie Allans of Westray. Arctic Skuas are beautiful, impressive birds, with sleek bodies and swept-back …
An evening walk in the warm, low sun and there is a pair of Skylarks in the field. They’re difficult to get …
The Fulmars on Westray are littering the coast with their ungainly earthly forms, as well as flying effortlessly along the cliffs with …
Twite are such beautiful birds. Their subtlety is exceptional, with the softness of their stripes and the paleness of their beaks. It’s …
A Scootie Allan attacking a Mallimack. An Arctic Skua attacking a Fulmar. A Stercorarius parasiticus attacking a Fulmarus glacialis. Dramatic, isn’t it, in …
I love Herring Gulls. Amazingly their UK conservation status is red. That’s because their breeding population keeps declining, and so does their …
I’m fascinated to see this Herring Gull going through a moult into adult plumage. You can see it better in this view: …
There’s a Common Guillemot on the waves. It’s having a little spruce up. Nesting in a colony is a great idea if …
Can you see this Gannet’s blinking its third eyelid, its nictitating membrane?
That reminds me, I must clean my glasses from all that sea spray.
There’s a stowaway on board looking for an easy fish. Who can blame it?
The Great Black Backed Gull is the largest gull in the world. We’re aboard the Kelly’s Hero on a cruise out of …
This Grey Seal is clearly feeling a little snoozy as it rests its blubber on a pontoon in Brixham. If you’re trying …
There’s a never-ending battle going on in the meadows and on moorland of Dartmoor. It’s Cuckoo versus Meadow Pipit. The Meadow Pipits …
As I arrive in Broken Tower Meadow in Rome a group of Starlings scatter from their fossicking in the meadow. This one …
I can see a bird of prey high in the sky. I don’t recognise it, so I train my lens on it …
It’s a hazy day in Matera and the sun is already high in the sky when we see a procession of Black …
There are butterflies galore in Broken Tower Meadow, il Pratone di Torre Spaccata. Here’s one. I think it’s the Eastern Dappled White, …
I wish we had Owlflies in the UK. They fly like a combination of dragonflies and butterflies, and perch with their massive …
There’s what looks like a Transparent Burnet moth, Zygaena purpuralis in the park. The larvae feed on wild thyme, which is exactly …
Wandering the ancient pedestrian streets of Matera in the heart of the Medieval village is a fabulous experience. There are stone troughs, …
It’s been a wonderful few days in Matera, but it’s time for us to go back to Rome. What an incredible place …
I still can’t stop laughing at this photograph of a Serin, Serinus serinus, in Matera What a face! He’s a male, with …
We’re in Matera to see the Lesser Kestrels. We’ve booked the room in the hotel which has three small terraces and the …
I love seeing the Swifts swirling overhead in Matera. There are screaming chases, flights which end in mating while clinging to buildings, …
We are in the oldest continuously inhabited city on Earth, Matera in Basilicata in the south of Italy. It’s possible to walk …