Warbling in the Sedge
I love it when information boards tell me what to look for: And then I find it:
Heron in the Bracken
There’s a Grey Heron in the bracken at RSPB Ham Wall Nature Reserve. It’s at this point that I’m glad I’m not …
Beauty and Pain, Pain and Beauty
Nettles. I remember getting stung badly by Nettles as a child. What stopped the stinging wasn’t rubbing my poor legs with Dock …
Chasing Broad-Bodied Chasers
There really is no point in chasing Broad-Bodied Chasers. That’s not because they are one of the commonest Dragonflies across Europe and …
Beautiful Demoiselle
There’s a female Beautiful Demoiselle perched next to the pond. I can tell it’s a female because it’s got white spots on …
The tale of Hazel Gloves and a fungus which grows on a fungus
There’s an unusual fungus on a thin tree branch in the woods surrounding Orley Common. I know that I’ve never seen it …
It’s Chile on the dunes
A visit to Dawlish Warren, not for a kiss-me-quick hat or a round of adventure golf, but for the wildlife of the …
Little King
Wren. It’s such a simple, short and easy name. Wren. The Wren’s scientific name is Troglodytes troglodytes. That’s not as short or …
Common Spotted Orchid
The Common Spotted Orchid is an orchid which is common and spotted. They are just coming into flower all over this heathland …
A family of Long-Tailed Bushtits
I’m so familiar with the call of Long-Tailed Tits, or Long-Tailed Bushtits as I prefer to call them, that I hardly look …
A Turtle Dove purring like a cat
The information board at RSPB Otmoor says there’s a Turtle Dove in the trees at the Reserve. Frustratingly I can’t see it …
Cowslips in the fields
Cowslips used to be universally known by British people. They were part of our culture, being made into garlands in May Day …
King Alfred’s Cakes
There’s an interesting fungus on this piece of dead wood. I’ve always known it as Cramp Balls, or Daldinia concentrica, but my friend …
Rooks in flight
The River Exe has a railway line running the full length from Exmouth to Exeter on one side and from Dawlish Warren …
Orange Tip without the orange tips
There’s an Orange Tip Butterfly without the orange tips to its wings in this field in Somerset. It must be a female, …
Hanging out the washing to dry
If your species is going to have to swim to eat and survive, you would have thought that you would have evolved …
Buzzard in flight
I’m out for a walk along the River Exe with my camera. There are a few small wading birds around but nothing …
Waving the Yellow Flag
The ponds at RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset are alive with Yellow Irises. Iris pseudacorus
A Damselfly with a blue tail
There’s a Damselfly with a blue stripe on its tail over the water in Somerset: It’s a Blue-Tailed Damselfly, Ischnura elegans.
Great Crested Grebe
There’s a Great Crested Grebe on the lake at Ham Wall RSPB Reserve in Somerset one minute, and the next, it’s gone. …
Hairy Dragonfly
I was wondering what this hairy dragonfly was called: Then I found out it was called the Hairy Dragonfly. Some people are …
Lapwings displaying
There are a few Lapwings flying around RSPB Greylake in Somerset today. These two drew a wonderful image in the air.
Goldfinches building a nest
There’s a lot of twittering and chattering in the trees in the back garden. It’s a pair of Goldfinches who are busy …
Oak Apples
There’s an apple on an oak tree over there. It’s not a fruit though, it’s a gall caused by the Oak Apple …
Variable Damselfly
There’s a Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum near the pond. They fly from May to August. The British Dragonfly Society (yes, there really …
Blackcap in the trees
Walking around RSPB Ham Wall Nature Reserve in Somerset I can hear singing. It must be a warbler of some sort but …
Green Veined White butterfly
“Keep still for a minute!” “Thanks!”
Linnets
The number of Linnets in Britain’s countryside has halved since I was a boy. I’m going to make the most of their company while they are still here.
A walk on Orley Common
Orley Common is a true common – absolutely no-one owns it or has ever owned it – it belongs to us all. …
Pheasant
Male Pheasants don’t do camouflage. This one’s face is like a beacon in the field.