A funny Tern
I love the small bright yellow boat in Pierowall bay. Having called it a boat, someone will probably correct me and tell …
Organic food – a glossary #4
“Is organic food any better for you?”, people ask, as if that’s the only worthwhile question to ask. A follow up question …
Let the Puffin photographs begin
There are entire manuals written on posing for portraits. They tell you exactly how to stand, hold your arms and hold your …
Gannet missile technology
As I child I read a book called Magic of the Senses by Vitus B. Droscher, a popular science exploration of the …
Flying Wren
I’ve enjoyed the Wrens at Einar this year. They’ve been a joy. Their lives are led in a sheltered garden, full of …
A Common Tern in the Bay of Tafts
There’s a Tern hunting for fish at the Bay of Tafts. It’s a beautiful day and visibility is good. Amazingly there’s someone …
Feather bed
The encyclopaedia says there are four seasons in temperate latitudes. Billy Connolly, however, said, “There are two seasons in Scotland; June and winter”. …
Critically endangered – a glossary #3
Life on Earth is in dire trouble. The Living Planet Report 2020 reports: “The global Living Planet Index continues to decline. It …
Absolute scenes
Absolute scenes here today at Einar as the Wrens fledged. I’ve been watching the parents bringing invertebrates into one of my ‘useful …
Great Yellow Bumblebee – Bombus distinguendus
This time I know what I’m looking for. I’m a man on a mission to find one of Britain’s rarest bumblebees. I’ve …
The shock of an Owl
I’m standing in the garden of Einar, against a stone wall, taking photographs of Swallows. They’re great to practise on because they’re …
Island life and using your loaf
I’m on North Ronaldsay for the day. My aim is to cycle and see some wildlife but I’m distracted. There’s a choice …
A voice as soothing as North Ronaldsay sheep’s wool
I’ve been to North Ronaldsay before. It’s an Orkney island which is further north than the south of Norway. Today is one …
Biodiversity – a glossary #2
Biodiversity is a pretentious term used by people who want to sound as if they understand something that you don’t. Usually, using …
Bottles
There’s a piece of marshland I regularly trespass on. It’s between a river and a railway and accessible only by climbing down …
Sparkly Puffin
Humans and Puffins. We share a love of sunlight on turquoise ocean. And sparkles. We both love sparkles. I’ve just added another …
Wall Pennywort
Umbilicus rupestris is a great scientific name for Wall Pennywort. Its alternative name is Navelwort. I prefer the name Bellybutton plant, but …
No
Farming near a town must be very stressful. It’s not just the dogs being walked near sheep. Although that’s stressful enough. There’s …
Buzzard chick
I’ve cycled out to The Wood again. I’m collecting my trail camera (more of which, later) and want to check on the …
Conservation – a glossary #1
Conservation sounds like it should be a good thing, a thing with which everyone agrees. We all want to conserve the natural …
Bee Orchid
I’ve seen Bee Orchids before. I went all the way to Brixham to search for them and was successful. They were a …
Bluebells
Bluebells are a woodland species. Here, on Dartmoor, there are fields of them. It used to be forest but we cut all …
Warbling in the reeds
I’m having a wander through the reeds in the heat of the sun. I can hear the robotic call of the Reed …
Edward Everard
I worked in Bristol for several years and frequently diverted my route across the city to see the Edward Everard building. Everard …
Goldmoss
I’m cycling around villages in South Devon when I see an old stone wall completely covered in intense yellow-gold flowers. It looks …
A Tivoli view
I loved our trip to Tivoli. This view through the ancient doorways of the Renaissance masterpiece is particularly effective, especially when you …
In search of the Iron Age and a pint of beer
I’m incredibly excited that there are Iron Age hill forts nearby. Of course there are, there are hundreds of them. Who knew? …
The Third Ladybird Book of British Birds – #11 The Blackcap
I’m currently reading the third volume of the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Times have changed: …
Red sauce, brown sauce or no sauce at all?
There’s Blackbird activity in the town centre. This female has a beak full of worms. It’s suggested to me that they might …
Home Sparrows
House sparrows have accompanied human domestication. They’ve followed our agricultural practices. They’ve lived in our homes and they’ve eaten our spilled grain. …