Waiting for the change
I can’t wait to see some Mediterranean Gulls in breeding plumage. Until then, I’ll just have to appreciate how handsome they are …
Little mover
The scientific name for the Pied Wagtail is Motacilla alba. Motacilla means ‘Little mover’ and alba means white. This one certainly has …
Cuttlefish for breakfast
When I’ve visited Brixham harbour over the past few years and walked down the historic slipway near the breakwater I’ve often seen …
It’s not an animal, plant or a fungus
This is not an animal, mineral or vegetable. It’s not a fungus, either. It’s a Slime Mould. Slime Moulds spend most of …
Drip
It’s always a delight to see a Great Northern Diver in Brixham harbour. What I’d really like to see is one of …
Trunk
A trip to Sidmouth allowed me the chance to attempt to emulate the artist Paul Nash’s talent in photographing fallen trees and …
The return of J1P4
Hello! I’m back after a little time away, working and enjoying myself. It’s good to be back. It’s also good to see …
The Great Chicken Disaster of 1952
There’s a reason chickens are mostly kept inside in Westray. It’s because of the great chicken disaster of 1952. On 15 January …
Adult Human female – the sequel
I was delighted when someone commented on my blog post Adult Human female with a thoughtful and opinion-filled reply. In my original …
Down the hatch
There’s a Great Northern Diver in Brixham harbour. It’s spent a short while removing the legs of a crab and is about …
Mediterranean Gull flypast
I love it when birds spot me as they fly past, and then give me a decent stare. They’re curious creatures, aren’t …
The Grey Seal and the Conger Eel
There’s a Grey Seal in Brixham Harbour which has just caught what looks like a Conger Eel. It’s entertaining to watch the …
Sparrow
I love seeing Sparrows. They were my gateway drug into wildlife conservation. They were almost the only bird which visited our back …
Green-eyed Shag
The beautiful eyes of this Shag are like emeralds glinting in this bright sunshine. The natural world is more precious than anything …
6 Pipers piping
There are meant to be eleven pipers piping around this time of year, but there were only six at Brixham Breakwater. They’re …
A drip of water
There’s a drip of water on this Gannet’s beak. It’s just spotted a fish below, so it’ll shortly be completely submerged. This, …
Buoyed
I’m lying face down in fishy bird poo again and I’m swaying gently from side to side and up and down. No, …
The Crab and the Diver
A trip to Brixham breakwater was a welcome break from writing, and organising my life. I love the Great Northern Divers there. …
A tree with flowers like mushrooms
There’s a tree I’m thrilled to see at Kew Gardens. It’s Aristolochia arborea, a tree which appears to have no common name. …
Red-Breasted Flycatcher
I receive a message on a WhatsApp group; there’s a Red-Breasted Flycatcher in Brixham. I’m not a twitcher, but being bird-curious, I’d …
Pipit, pipit
Meadow Pipits have a rather serious, stoic look. There are hundreds of families of Meadow Pipits on Westray, and, as I stood …
Razorbill
I’m used to seeing resplendent Razorbills in full breeding plumage on Westray. I’ve even photographed them bringing back fish to their rock …
Grey seal
There’s a Grey Seal investigating me as I lie at sea-level on Brixham Breakwater. It’s as if they can’t quite believe that …
Diving Shag
There’s a Shag diving in Brixham harbour. They’re a pleasure to watch, you just never know when they’re going to dive, or …
Avocets and mud
It’s odd that most wading birds are brown and heavily camouflaged and yet Avocets are, well, noticeable. I wonder why? I’m sure …
Great Northern Divers in Brixham again
Two words which go together perfectly are ‘great’ and ‘northern’. I hear there are Great Northern Divers in Brixham harbour again, so …
Curlew in flight
The brief warmth of the sun in the afternoon on a cold day was a welcome interlude on a trip to Exminster …
Fieldfare – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
I’d like to get a decent photograph of a Fieldfare. That’s quite a tricky thing to achieve without spending a lot of …
A date with Waxcaps
A trip to Somerset to see my friend Martin had the unintended bonus of a walk and a crop of wonderful waxcap …
Life and death on the waves
Strange things happen in the natural world. Here’s a photograph from a sequence that I’m still mentally processing. From left to right: …