You’ll be pleased (maybe) to know that Magnus is still alive and kicking, which is more than I can say for our baby greenfinch (but more of that later). Magnus is in the garden the whole of the time and he seems to have given up on the idea of…
Magpies aren’t my favourite birds. They usually turn up in huge flocks and act like thugs. I’ve seen them drag blackbird chicks from the nest which, of course, is natural predatory behaviour for so many animals, but the magpies’ loutish manner stands them apart, at least in my eyes, to…
We had a great time today on the RSPB gannet cruise off Bempton Cliffs, where we watched the seabirds from the surface of the sea rather than the clifftops and fed the gannets a helping of mackerel. Following the cruise, we had the statutory fish and chips (you have to…
You’re living on another planet if you haven’t heard about the worldwide efforts to reduce plastic waste and protect our wildlife but there’s still lots to be done. I’ve never been shy about raising issues with people and I would encourage others to do so, particularly to advance the cause…
Great thicknee, Sri Lanka No, I am not the Bird Photographer of the Year! In fact, I rarely enter competitions for a number of reasons but last year I decided to send a few images to the Bird Photographer of the Year 2018 on the off-chance I might get…
I was looking after Pedro last weekend. He’s our friend’s amazing, retired, guide dog. While on our early morning forage, we came across a rabbit warren that seems to have grown since last I saw it. Pedro showed little interest but that’s not unusual since he seems to have been…
There are badgers at the bottom of the field and getting a decent photo has proved difficult for a number of reasons, not least that the sett is under trees and the animals never seem to emerge until its pitch black. I’ve sat up a tree for hours with my…
All last week, the young tawny owl(s) were scratching around trying to climb out of the box and I was dying to get some pics of them emerging to check out their new world. On Friday, we went away for the weekend and on our return on Sunday, without so…
Green woodpeckers, Kirkheaton, Huddersfield Those of you have been reading my blog will have heard about the elusive green woodpecker. I managed to get a couple of shots off last year just after the young had fledged and, this year, I have been determined to find the nest. Many…
Monarch butterflies, Santa Cruz, California I’m delighted that another one of my photos has made it into the pages of BBC Wildlife magazine (May 2018) In February this year we sought out overwintering monarch butterflies in Santa Cruz, California. After a bit of a search, we found hundreds of…