Diving Goosander
Goosanders love a bit of snorkelling and free diving. This one is taking the plunge at Daisy Nook Country Park. The teeth on that bill have fish to trap.
Ludlow
I’ve wanted to visit Ludlow ever since reading AE Housman’s poetry in A Shropshire Lad when I was 18. It’s taken a …
Boomtown Fair portrait #2
Here’s another of my photographs from the immersive music festival Boomtown Fair, held in Hampshire. It’s love the energy of the place, …
Why are immature gulls so hard to identify?
There are several groups of birds which seem impossible to separate without years of knowledge in the field.
The Pharmacy
I’ve been sketching in Newton Abbot again. There are still many historic places despite the widespread destruction of our heritage. The Pharmacy …
Arctic Tern feeding
A memory of last summer with the Arctic Terns of Westray. There were so few chicks in this colony that the remaining …
Dacrymyces deliquescens
There’s a tiny orange fungus on this wet rotting wood. I recognise it from my childhood. It can only be Dacrymyces deliquescens. …
Redshank – lover of good clean mud
The Redshank, Tringa totanus, is a Eurasian wader. It’s classified as part of a large family called Scolopacidae. It’s related to the sandpipers, …
Great Crested Grebe flypast
You’ve probably noticed that I love a good flypast. Here are two Great Crested Grebes going at speed down the River Exe. …
Black-Tailed Godwitterings
Have I mentioned that I love Black-Tailed Godwits before? Well, yes I have. And with good reason. What I must do now …
Phoenix Sounds
I’ve been sketching in Newton Abbot again. This time it’s my local record shop, Phoenix Sounds. I love the vinyl they have …
Muckymouth
This Black-Tailed Godwit is giving me strong muckymouth pie vibes. As a child I loved muckymouth pie. It’s a pastry-encased treat filled …
Boomtown Fair portrait #1
Boomtown Fair is an immersive music festival and more. I loved attending, espceially since there are so many paid actors and performers …
The Great Skua in the style of Robert Macfarlane – according to Chat GPT
I thought it would be a bit of fun to ask an artificial intelligence website to “Write about the Great Skua in …
Dark-bellied Brent Geese
Brent Geese are small Geese, only just bigger than a large duck. On the River Exe we have the dark-bellied Brent Geese …
Female Smew
Smew are described as compact diving ducks with delicate bills. Personally I’d call them dinky. The males are stunning bridal white with …
Indulgence Tea Rooms
I’ve been sketching in Newton Abbot again. This time it’s the Indulgence Tea Rooms in Devon Square. Here’s what they have to …
One person’s White Ibis is another person’s Bin Chicken
Even if it’s a common species it’s well worth appreciating. I remember going to Australia (I had half a day’s work there …
Smew three
Have I posted too many photographs of Smew? No, I didn’t think so.
Carry On Crow
There’s a piece of driftwood and a pool of water in the extended mud at the centre of the River Exe at …
Recurvirostra avosetta
There are Avocets on the River Exe and it’s a thrill to see them. Just look at that ridiculous curved beak. It’s …
Incoming Black-Tailed Godwit
I love a landing shot. This Black-Tailed Godwit was just about to touchdown in the shallow water at Seaton Wetlands. It looks …
Newton Abbot Bowling Club
I’ve been sketching again in Newton Abbot, in Devon, this time it’s Newton Abbot Bowling Club in Courtenay Park. The Club was …
Crowing
There’s a Carrion Crow on a marker buoy in Poole Harbour. It looks so intensely black in this light. I love how …
Coming in for a kiss
The Black-Tailed Godwits at Seaton Wetlands have been pairing up before their journey north to Iceland for a summer of raising a …
Dabbling Gadwall
If you ever think that a bird is a dull colour, take a closer look. The pattern of the plumage of this …
Marsh Harrier
I love seeing Marsh Harriers hunting. I’ve yet to see one kill anything yet, though. Surely it’s just a matter of time? …
John Lethbridge’s Diving Engine
I’ve been sketching again in Newton Abbot, this time it’s the replica of John Lethbridge’s Diving Engine in Newton Abbot Museum. John Lethbridge …
Black-Tailed Godwit
The Black-Tailed Godwits at RSPB Radipole in Weymouth are getting their breeding colours ready for a summer of fun and frolics in …
Greenshank / Redshank
I love getting a close view of a Redshank. They’re such expert alarm-callers that they were refereed to as ‘the Warden of …