I’ve enjoyed being amongst the butterflies in Parco della Caffarella. There are many different species and it’s great to see them actively egg-laying. This looks like an Eastern Bath White, Pontia edusa: There’s also a Green Hairstreak, Callophrys rubi, at it as well: I’ve seen Green Hairstreaks before, in Devon: …
There’s a Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly, Orthetrum coerulescens, above this tiny stream in Rome. It’s a female and has the distinctive black line …
My life in the natural world is full of ‘Wow!’ moments. Today was one of them. It was a multiple ‘Wow!’ when …
We’ve gone for a walk outside of Rome and I’m on the lookout for birds and butterflies. I wander through a loose …
I’ve seen a lot of photographs of butterflies but never one like this. It’s not just that it’s a shot of a …
The Italian name of the Sardinian Warbler, Curruca melanocephala, is Occhiocotto. That means cooked-eye. You can see why: They are energetic warblers, …
The meadow here in Rome is full to bursting with thistles with huge flower heads. The sight is as gorgeous as walking …
There’s an Italian Three-Toed Skink, Chalcides chalcices, on the footpath at Parco della Caffarella in Rome. It looks like a snake, but …
I’m having fun in the sun practising my bird in flight photography. Perhaps the most difficult bird to photograph is the Barn …
I’m wandering around a meadow in Rome looking for a fresh Long-Lipped Tongue Orchid, Serapias vomeracea. I’m surrounded by hundreds of them …
The Coots on my local lake had six chicks earlier in the year. All of them were eaten. They built another nest …
When no-one else is looking this Brown Rat, Rattus norvegicus, crawls from the undergrowth and helps itself to the surplus bird food …
Wild Cuckoos are truly wild birds. They don’t tolerate human presence. I’m hidden in camouflage and bracken waiting for them to come …
Images of mothers and children are incredibly powerful to humans. It’s even the case that we respond to other mammals: Mare and …
We’re out on a trip to Portland when we stop at Ferrybridge in Dorset. We’re there to see the Little Tern colony, …
I’m at Portland in Dorset with my friend Mark when he offers to buy us ice creams. I’m hardly likely to refuse, …
The Green Woodpecker chick is now large enough to stick its head out of the nesting hole. Previously all we could see …
There’s a Skylark atop the burnt Gorse above Emsworthy Mire on Dartmoor. It’s standing in classic, erect, Skylark pose, with chin up …
Emsworthy Mire on Dartmoor is one of my favourite places. It’s easy to get to, close to home, and not very busy. …
There are still adult Cuckoos on Dartmoor. When they all leave for their migration to Africa there will still be Cuckoos here, …
One minute you have it and the next minute it’s gone. This is what it’s like when you lose your nut. The …
Coots and Moorhens are fairly familiar birds of lakes, ponds and canals. They are both members of the Rallidae, a family which include Rails, like the …
There are Beavers on the River Otter. I park in Otterton (yes, really) and we have a pint in The King’s Arms …
I love a Mandarin Duck shot. I decide to lie on the ground and get my camera as low to the water …
Being in a portable hide and spending time with these Green Woodpeckers has been a thrill. Here’s the male with his distinctive …
It’s an evening out in England and your friends are meeting at yours. The cost of alcohol in pubs and clubs means …
Okay, I’m getting the hang of these Green Woodpeckers now. You wait for three hours and see nothing. You hear a call, …
I couldn’t resist taking this photograph, although it took me a long time, as I was too busy admiring how cute this …
There’s the loud laugh of a Green Woodpecker in the woods. My friend abandons his camera and bag and rushes wildly into …
And I didn’t disturb the bird to get it. We discovered a Green Woodpeckers’ nest just over a month ago. Since then …
