Can anyone tell me why a small minority of birders insist on being possessive of the birds that they find and generally uptight about sharing information with other birders? Over the past couple of years I have come across a couple such characters. In truth, I find it very depressing when I come into contact […]
The Scrubs at 6.30am The Scrubs at 7.30pm And that was all I saw this morning!
Kingfisher (Peter Hewitt) This morning I traipsed down to The Scrubs primarily to be interviewed by the author of a forthcoming book on urban gardening. She wanted to write a chapter on urban birding hence her meeting with me. I was walking her around my patch giving her a very basic breakdown on urban birding […]
Egyptian Goose in Brussels (Stephen Boddington) Last weekend I made an impromptu visit to Brussels for some urban birding at the invitation of Stephen Boddington, an ex-pat who has lived in the city for the past 14 years. I always imagined the city as a grey concreted rainy business centre. I had only been there […]
Eurasian Bittern (Russell F Spencer) In November last year I visited Gosforth Park NR on the outskirts of Newcastle as part of a general scout around the northeast. The thing that struck me about the place was that despite its close proximity to Newcastle it harboured an amazing array of wildlife. Encompassing 145 acres, its […]
First winter? Male Stonechat (Neville Smith) A fine male Stonechat (Neville Smith) These two beautiful Stonechats were discovered at The Scrubs over the weekend. We presume that they are migrants heading back to who knows where to set up their territories ahead of the returning females. Stonechats were once regular winterers on my patch with […]
Tagus Estuary, Lisbon, Portugal Cattle Egret Yellow-legged Gull The past few mornings at The Scrubs have really been invigorating. The scene is changing in that winter is definitely receding and the resident birds are all displaying and busily singing. I’m going to have an extremely busy spring with most of it to be spent away […]
Meadow Pipit (Mandy West) Nipped over to Wormwood Scrubs, my patch, this morning to check up on the birdlife. The football pitches were still fairly busy with Larids. I counted at least 190 Black-headed Gulls in varying plumages loafing on the pitches. Interestingly, only perhaps three birds were in first winter plumage with majority sporting […]
Barons Haugh RSPB Reserve, Motherwell Looking south Pardeep Chand (ex Barons Haugh Warden) & TUB The RSPB Glasgow crew: Jenny Tweedie, Ryan Walrath & Ruth Curruthers with TUB outside Kelvingrove Museum Spent a lovely Sunday north of the border at the behest of RSPB Glasgow to deliver a talk within the stunning Kelvingrove Art Gallery […]
Not quite black-and-white I was thinking about cats the other day. I find some of them quite cuddly and strokeable but if I am honest, I am not their biggest fan. The sign I saw in a shop window in Folkestone the other weekend summed it up. It was one of those joke signs akin […]
Cecil the Eagle Owl giving us the eye Cecil looking for lunch Cecil reading up on survey work! Last spring whilst co-leading a bird walk at Arne RSPB Reserve in Dorset, I had the pleasure of meeting Cecil Fowler, the then fluffy and adorable captive Eagle Owl. I was impressed by his weight as he […]
Fieldfare (Anthony McGeehan) It is totally brass monkeys out there! I have just come back from giving a talk to the Luton and South Bedfordshire RSPB Group and I must thank God for arranging for a fast, warm train to be waiting on the platform to shift my quarters back to London in double quick […]
Male Bullfinch (Russell F Spencer) Bullfinches seem to be the flavour of the month right now. Everywhere I turn I see Bullfinches apart from in real life. Okay, I haven’t been out as much as I should have been recently but ever since I wrote a piece in RSPB ‘Birds Magazine’ on these delectable birds […]
A winter plumaged Mediterranean Gull – (Sacha Barbato) Over the weekend, I decided to spend time cogitating in Folkestone, Kent. I’ve recently decided that it is important to have time away from the daily pressures in order to figure out ideas and generally replenish the creative reservior. The coming week will be a busy one […]
European Goldfinch (Russell F Spencer) This month has raced by as far as I can see. However, most of my time has been spent behind a computer screen, perhaps peering over the top of the laptop screen to squint at a some Family Guy every now and again. Today, I put the finishing touches to […]
The lovely Kate with TUB Spent a lovely afternoon hanging out with Kate Humble on the Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV1. We were there to launch the RSPB’s Big Schools Birdwatch and I was specifically there to chat about the equipment that budding birders could use. I’m quite interested in eyeing up that super expensive […]
East London and beyond (Geoff Nutter) This morning I spoke at The Outdoor Show at London Excel in the Docklands. Incidently, the ‘Excel’ bit actually means exhibition centre London – a fact that I never knew. The Outdoor Show was basically a room filled with outdoorsy-type exhibitors stands that were swarming with interested members of […]
Rose-ringed Parakeet (Yvette Spencer) I think that it’s a well known fact that I am not a great fan of our ever-increasing populations of Rose-ringed Parakeets. I won’t bore you with my reasons now, but tonight I received a tweet from a guy in Cardiff who proudly announced the arrival of the city’s first bird. […]
Slaty-legged Crake (photo c/o Phil Round) Slaty-legged Crake (photo c/0 Phil Round) Whilst languishing in The Scrubs (my patch and not the prison) sifting through flocks of Black-headed and Common Gulls in the vain hope of finding a wind swept Kittiwake, I received an email from Thailand based birder, Phil Round. Phil, for those who […]
For those who are interested, below I have listed the species that I saw on my supposed non-birdy holiday to Thailand! The birds in brackets were only heard and not seen. Dabchick Little Cormorant Striated (Little) Heron Chinese Pond Heron/Javan Pond Heron Eastern Cattle Egret Great Egret Intermediate Egret Little Egret Eastern (Pacific) Reef Egret […]