Getting the winter duvet out
It’s been a cold night and there’s an unexpected frost with this clear blue sky. There’s a Grey Squirrel above me. Instead …
Blackbird
There’s a Blackbird skulking and hopping around the path. I love them. If someone tells you they are plain birds, don’t agree …
Close to a Cormorant
It’s a beautiful morning in my local country park. I see another photographer and we exchange pleasantries. He says it’s much better …
Woodpigeon
Have you ever had a close look at a Woodpigeon? They are such extreme birds. Just look at those strange features: Now …
Tender moments
We are witnessing a tender moment at the lake: a Coot is feeding its only chick: It is picking morsels of food …
Mr and Mrs Mallard
The sunshine is dazzling and so is this male Mallard: The subtlety of the camouflage of this female Mallard is equally as …
A spot of sunbathing
There’s a Nuthatch sounding off like a car alarm in the old Oak tree: It’s such beautiful weather I can see every …
Old red eyes is back
Coots have extraordinary eyes. The irises of this one are red: Sometimes, however, their irises are dark red or even brown. I’d …
Mute
I never get bored of Mute Swans, Cygnus olor: There’s something about their size, their poise and their steady pace that enthrals …
Stock Dove
There’s a pigeon above me. I think it’s a Wood Pigeon but it looks far too small and scrawny. It’s silhouetted in …
Bullfinches and Verrucas
The sign says Bullfinch so my hopes are up. But there’s nothing. I’d love to get some decent shots but there are …
Four-Spotted Chaser
I always found dragonflies difficult to identify. However, a quick check on Wikipedia for the Four-Spotted Chaser Dragonfly tells me that “The …
Large Red Damselfly
There’s a Large Red Damselfly in the Park. It’s large, it’s red and it’s a Damselfly. Some people really do lack an imagination when it comes to names.
Four-Spotted Chasers
There’s something deeply alien about Dragonflies. These Four-Spotted Chasers have huge compound eyes just like a space helmet. And the translucent exoskeleton …
Curious behaviour
There’s a beautiful pair of Mandarin Ducks on the pond. It’s worrying me though that there seems to be something wrong with …
The tale of the Grebe and the Slider
There’s a Great Crested Grebe on a nest in the middle of the Lake. I’m looking at it closely when I realise …
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 …