The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #11 The Song Thrush
I’m turning the pages of this 1950s Ladybird book to see what’s changed in wildlife, childhood, technology and me. The numbers of Song Thrushes have halved from 1970 to 2015.
Siskins
It’s a year since I took up bird photography properly and I can tell that I’m getting better. Partly it’s the practice …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #10 The Blackbird
What’s changed since this 1950s Ladybird Book of British Birds was published?
Hawfinch in the forest
There’s been an influx of Hawfinches into the UK this autumn and winter. After checking the Devon Birds website I’ve been out …
The Imp of the Forest
Red Squirrels, like me, are addicted to fresh walnuts. Unlike me they have the teeth to get into them. Red Squirrels come prepared with a sharp set of nutcrackers already provided.
Marsh Tits
Marsh Tits are quite difficult to photograph. They are fast and pay only fleeting visits to exposed perches. There are far fewer …
Kestrel then and now
We are driving along a dusty road in Italy with telegraph poles alongside it. Every few hundred metres is a Kestrel, or, …
Little Egrets
Little Egrets are one of the most beautiful birds I’ve photographed. I remember the shock of seeing my first one from the …
Colour co-ordinated Gulls
The brown waters of the River Tiber in Rome never seem to be able to reflect the intense blue of the sky …
Living on crumbs
Along the River Tiber in Rome there are many bridges. Under some of them, on the east side of the old city, …
Cormorants on the Tiber
Walking along the Tiber in Rome there are two waterfront boulevards. On one side it is beautiful, clean, well-lit, marked with a …
Heron on the Tiber
A Heron on a bridge over the River Tiber stands as still as an Ancient Roman statue.
The Rose Ringed Parakeets of Rome
The Rose Ringed Parakeets in Rome are a noisy delight. Here’s one in a tree on the banks of the River Tiber: …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #9 The Magpie
It’s Day 9 of turning the pages in this 1950s Ladybird book to see what’s changed in the past 60 years: “The …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #8 The Jay
On Day 8 of turning the pages of this Ladybird book I find out that there’s one rule for the rich and one for the poor when it comes to wildlife persecution..
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #7 The Linnet
Turning the next page of this Ladybird book and it’s the Linnet: It says: “The Linnet is another very common bird.” It’s …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #6 The Bullfinch
I’m leafing through my copy of The First Ladybird Book of British Birds and their Nests this month. Turning the page today …
Razorbills
Looking back at my photographs from 2017 I come across some which I haven’t posted. They are Razorbills. They nest along the …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #5 The Long-tailed Tit
Turning to the next page in this 1950s Ladybird book shows the Long-tailed Tit: I prefer to call them Long-Tailed Bushtits because …
Bridled Guillemot
Looking back at my photographs from Westray in 2017 I’m struck by this beautiful Bridled Guillemot. It’s a Guillemot, Uria aalge, but …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #4 The Blue Tit
Leafing through this 1950s Ladybird book is fascinating. Today I’ve come to the Blue Tit: Here’s my childhood sketch of Blue Tits. …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds #3 – The Robin
I’m leafing through this 1950s Ladybird book when I come across the page for the Robin: Everyone knows the Robin Redbreast At …
2017 highlights of a wilder Devon life
2017 was when I embarked upon my quest with gusto. Which quest? To find all the animals, plants and fungi I wrote …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #2 The Wren
I’m currently reading the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Times have changed: It says: The Wren …
2017 highlights of a wilder Italian life
In 2017 I made many trips to Italy. In February it was Orbetello, staying at the most incredible AirBnB, where we were …
Identifying Goose Barnacles on a floating wheel
Walking the coast of Westray I can see a yellow plastic wheel floating in the sea among the seaweed and flotsam and …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds #1 – The Yellowhammer
During January I’ll be exploring this 1950s Ladybird book of British Birds and their nests to see what’s changed in the last …
2017 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
2017 was a wonderful year for wildlife experiences in Orkney. In July the seabird city at Noup Head was a whirling, wheeling …
Cud
The sheep on Westray are hardy beasts. Here’s one with a white face doing what a sheep does best; chew:
Driftwood
There are precious few trees on Westray. Wood for buildings was a scarce material and driftwood was always salvaged by Islanders and …