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.
Great White Egret at RSPB Ham Wall
It was 2012 when Great White Egrets first bred on the Somerset levels. Today there’s a thriving population. They look majestic against …
A Blackcap like a fine wine
I’m tickled by this description of a Blackcap’s song: “The Blackcap’s song lacks the Blackbird or Thrush-like phrases of the Garden Warbler …
Basal knob
That huge lump on the base of this Mute Swan’s beak is called a basal knob. Knowing that, however, tells you nothing …
Chasing a Four-Spotted Chaser
I’m chasing a Four-Spotted Chaser dragonfly. They’re very active this morning in the Somerset marshes. It takes an age for me to …
There’s a teddy bear staring at me
I’ve driven for six hours to Norwich for a single day’s work. It’s now five o’clock, I’ve finished work, and it’s time …
Two top predators over the Somerset Levels
There are two top predators flying over the Somerset Levels today. A Marsh Harrier and an Apache helicopter. The Marsh Harrier is …
Whitethroat
I was delighted to spot this delightful male Whitethroat. It’s another fascinating migratory warbler which has spent our winter in Africa, south …
An Italian Prisoner of War, beachcombing, 75 years ago
Orkney had a substantial Italian Prisoner of War population in the Second World War. They were specially commandeered for building work to …
“Look for singing birds perched on the outside of a bush.”
The RSPB’s website says that if you want to find Sedge Warblers you should “Look for singing birds perched on the outside …
The Lesser Kestrels of Matera #4
Photography still includes the principal fields of taking and developing images; it’s just that now they are digital and the development is …
Black Headed Gull
Bright skies, clear water, a fresh breeze and beautiful Black Headed Gulls.
Chiff Chaff
Chiff Chaffs are beautiful birds. They look almost identical to Willow Warblers to me. I’d need a high-powered telephoto lens to see …
Lesser by name, great by nature
Lesser Black Backed Gulls are magnificent creatures. They are noticeably darker on the back and wings than the more familiar Herring Gull …
Dinosaurs fly among us
If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the dinosaurs, here they are, all around us. These Mallard Ducklings have hatched from eggs …
Love amongst the bushes
A male Blue Tit has just fed its mate. A clutch of healthy eggs is on its way.
A Pipit up a tree
I can see a Pipit up a tree. Could it be… A Tree Pipit?
Nuts!
This Grey Squirrel is one of the lucky ones. Only 25% of Grey Squirrels survive their first year. Only 45% of the …
“A little bit of bread and no cheese”
There’s a yellow bird singing loudly from a tree on Trendlebere Down. It sounds utterly beautiful and I’m entranced. It must be …
Chatting like two stones being banged together
There’s a repetitive high-pitched knocking as if someone’s banging two stones together. It must be the aptly named Stonechat. There’s a pair …
How many make a mob?
Crows react very badly to the presence of Buzzards. Here one took exception to a Buzzard in its field, mobbing it and …
An attendance register in the loft
Looking around in the attic for traces of mice, signs of leaks and some understanding of why TV reception is so poor …
Essential advice for bird photography
I was given some advice on bird photography which I’ve taken to heart. “Always try to get both the beak and the …
Italian Sparrows or Spanish Sparrows
Who would have thought that identifying Sparrows could be so difficult? But biology, as with life, is a messy business. Here’s a …
Holly Blue Butterfly, without the Holly
There’s a tiny blue butterfly in the garden in Puglia in Italy. I see it move high in the bush and then …
Linnet on the lookout
There’s a Linnet on the lookout. Luckily I’m in a hide.
Bog Beacon
I’m in a woodland centre with a group of enthusiastic mycologists, with stereo microscopes, obscure expensive books on fungi and a packed …
A lizard doing what lizards do best.
What do lizards do best? Why, lounge, of course!