There’s a Common Buzzard on the banks of the River Dart. We’re enjoying great views of it from the small boat due to the keen eyesight of Mike Langman. Either that or he has very special binoculars. Actually, it could be both. I’m not sure whether it’s been hunting or …
There’s a Peregrine Flacon flying over the River Dart. The last time I saw one here it was ‘buzzing’ an Osprey with …
Today’s post is another one on human biology and its misuse to support an ideology. If you’d rather look at my photographs …
I was on a cruise up the River Dart with Mike Langman recently when he spotted an Eurasian Curlew. I love to …
It’s only 8 million years since Sabine’s Gulls and Kittiwakes were the same species. Evolutionary time boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
I wanted to write a sonnet which could be sung on Remembrance Sunday. I’ve recently been enjoying using ‘artificial intelligence’ to create …
I’m greedy. Whenever I see a beautiful bird I’d like to be as close as possible to it without affecting its behaviour …
The juvenile Osprey on the River Otter last month was doing a very good job of catching a fish every morning and …
Gull identification isn’t my favourite subject. There are too many plumages which seemingly overlap. My mind ties itself into knots as I …
This Lesser Black-Backed Gull is in transition. It still has a speckled head and some of its wing feathers are still the …
I’m used to seeing Kittiwakes in full, pristine, breeding plumage in Orkney. It’s a pleasure to see some in their more relaxed …
This year I’ve decided to enter some photography competitions. I’ve been inspired by my dad, who won competition after competition (with my …
I’ve had great fun recently at the Lower Otter Restoration Project as there’s been an Osprey in residence. Here it is, only …
Out at sea there’s always a larger boat than yours. Out in Lyme Bay there’s a warship patrolling.
It’s not just fishing boats out in Lyme Bay. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are back in South Devon. That’s extraordinary. They’ve suffered a …
I love the mixture of sand on the beaches of Westray. Some are shell sand from the crushed shells of the molluscs …
Birds, like most vertebrates, apart from many mammals, have a cloaca. Cloaca is Latin for sewer and is the combined intestinal, urinary …
There’s a shout of “Kestrel!” and I train my lens on the sky. A Common Kestrel is being mobbed by a Carrion …
I think of fulmars as being mid-engined birds with relatively short wings. They are deceptive, however, as their wings can appear quite …
Of all the things I love about autumn, trips to see Ospreys migrating back to Africa are one of my top highlights. …
There’s a spot on the coast of Westray that I return to again and again. A rock shelf reaches out into the …
I sometimes wonder why Wheatears are so difficult to get close to. Then I remember that we have killed and eaten every …
We’re on an early morning dog walk along Taftend when we notice there are small flocks of birds on the tideline moving …
The Grey Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius, is a bird I’ve only ever seen in full breeding plumage. Where it breeds, it’s known as …
The bird I’d most like to photograph is a Male Hen Harrier. There’s been one on Westray on and off for the …
The Giant Polypore, Meripilus giganteus, is giant and has many pores on its underside. It’s also called the Black-Staining Polypore because, well, …
The weather is incredible on Westray today. There are blue skies, blustery winds and waves which roll and roll. I’m enjoying sitting …
Another viral post is still doing the rounds attempting to mislead people who have a poor understanding of biology into believing that …
There’s a small group of Arctic Terns in the bay. They are such beautiful birds. I love the long tail streamers. There …
Apparently Goose Barnacles have a sweet taste like Razor Clams. They’re filter feeders which grow on rocks or on flotsam and have …