Long Tailed Bushtits in the bushes
I’m looking over the beautiful green treetops and palm-tops in Parco Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli: There’s a flock of Long Tailed Tits …
The Doctrine of Signatures
I’m walking around Villa d’Este in Tivoli. It’s the Renaissance masterpiece where hundreds of fountains flow with ornate carvings, pools, ducts and …
Temples and Lounging Lizards
I’m wandering around Tivoli with my camera. I’m in the Parco Villa Gregoriana. I expected there to be a fine house called …
Ol’ Blue Eyes is back
I love the street cats of Italy, despite the number of wild birds they kill. Today I have a day off in …
Wasp Spider on the plane and on the plain
On the high mountain plain above Calascio in Italy we stop for a picnic and I see a black, white and yellow …
Robin’s Pincushions on Wild Roses
The ability of life to survive in the harshest of climates is remarkable. We’re walking at 1,500m above sea level and winters …
From rich forests teeming with natural life…
The Earth is on a journey from biodiversity to monoculture; from rich tropical and temperate rainforests to grass with cattle and sheep …
For every place, a palette
Every place on Earth has its own palette. Some are collections of complimentary colours; others have contrast. Some are simple; others are …
A Grayling
I’m trying to have a relaxed breakfast but there’s too much to see. I want my Italian coffee and croissant but I …
Praying for a Mantis
We are walking in Abruzzo in Italy at a height of 1,500 metres above sea level. It’s invigorating: Amongst the grass are …
A Cornish Chough in Italy
We’re spending a few days walking in Italy. We’re in Rocca Calascio, part of the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso. That means …
Aquila in L’Aquila
The L’Aquila region of Italy is named after Aquila which means eagle. It’s an area of breathtaking high peaks. “Do they have …
Joined by Reynard for breakfast
It’s time for breakfast in Italy which means more delicious food and breathtaking views are on the way. Sitting outside in October …
Domestic
Puffins live so close together that there are frequent small territorial acknowledgements and disputes. They also pair for life so there are …
A billion bottles a day
Last year we used well over a billion plastic bottles a day. Fewer than half of these bottles were collected for recycling. …
House proud
This Puffin was sitting outside its burrow in the soil at the top of the cliff last summer. Its mate was inside …
Go to the edge of the land and stare at the sea as the sun sets
Get out of the house. Stop staring at a screen. Ignore the day-to-day. Take some time. Go on a trip. Immerse yourself …
Puffin portraits
Puffins have a wide variety of poses which humans find appealing. We can easily imagine them as having human characteristics, or anthropomorphise …
When language is lacking
I’m on the deck of the Northlink ferry from mainland Scotland to Mainland Orkney when I see a black fin in the …
Fungus upon fungus
As soon as you begin to look at the natural world there are never-ending chains of relationships between living organisms. The classic …
Wheatears – nothing to do with wheat, ears or even ears of wheat
The name Wheatear sounds so romantic, so descriptive and so elegant. Wheatear. In fact the name is a polite form of its …
Mr Punch
It’s Mr Punch on the rocks on Westray.
Barquentine Thalassa
The Northlink Ferry from Scrabster on the Scotland mainland to Stromness on the Orkney Mainland is always entertaining, thankfully in a good …
Taking a selfie with the Old Man
There’s a crowd on the deck of the Northlink Ferry from Scrabster to Stromness. We’re passing the Old Man of Hoy, scene …
The magic of a Merlin
At the very north of Westray the coast is exposed. In the far distance I can see a falcon. It’s so far …
Twite
There are small brown birds on the lichen-covered rocks on the coast of Westray. It takes me a while to identify them. …
Redshanks
Redshanks must be one of the most annoying birds for British birdwatchers. They are beautiful, active, entertaining to watch and have great …
Puffins on the rocks
It’s good to enjoy the Puffins while we can. They are critically endangered. They are ‘red listed’ which means they are at …
A load of Bronze Age bollards
The Links of Notland is such an amazing place for archaeology. It has a huge neolithic settlement, site of the discovery of …
Compass Jellyfish
I’ve been very lucky with jellyfish this summer on Westray. The jellyfish haven’t been quite so lucky. This looks like a Compass …