Ancient names: Parus capite nigro: vertice albo, dorso cinereo, pectore albo
Coal Tit is such a nice, short, simple name. It’s also in English, and despite Britain’s best efforts in the past, not …
What’s in a name?
Here’s the most wonderful fungus growing on a decaying slime mould growing on a piece of tree bark smaller than my finger …
Peacock
Here’s my photograph of a Peacock Butterfly, Aglais io, from 2017: Here’s a photograph from my holiday scrapbooks from forty years ago …
Speckled Wood
It’s late in the year but a little sunshine has brought out the butterflies. There’s a wonderful Speckled Wood butterfly, Pararge aegeria, …
Vanessa through the ages
This summer I saw a Red Admiral butterfly in high winds feeding on Westray in Orkney: The scientific name of the Red …
Always a Comma and never a full stop
There’s a Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album at the top of this Blackthorn tree. It’s bright orange against the still-green leaves and the …
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 …
Chaffinch – surrounded by single Swedish females
The scientific name of the Common Chaffinch has been Fringilla coelebs ever since the great Swedish namer and classifier Carl Linnæus called …