Crumbling, stone walls settled on a carpet of bright green grass, surrounded by the bronze of a beech hedge. Beyond, a dark river slowly meanders through an open park, flanked by deep green ivy covered trees and tangles of brambles. Welcome to the Priory an old monastery worn away by time and nestled in the … More The Rescue
With the warm, sunny days of recent weeks it has really started to feel like summer, let alone spring! Released from the confines of the office at the weekend, Sunday saw us exploring Thetford in search of nests. Song thrush nest, as seen through the nester’s mirror stick, one of eight nests found today Climbing … More Spring Arrivals
Back in January news got out that a male Spanish Sparrow had taken up residence in a small village in Hampshire. Spanish Sparrows are found in Spain (funnily enough!) but also Turkey and North Africa, and like our own House Sparrow doesn’t tend to move very far. So for one to appear in the UK … More Gorrión moruno…a Sparrow de España…
The wind howled, whipping the greenish grey sea into a frenzy of white water,spraying from the tops and streaking down the backs of large waves. It was blowing an absolute hoolie as the MV Finlaggen steamed from Kennacraig to Islay. Five seabird surveyors stood wrapped up against the wind and spray on the back deck, … More A Hoolie in the Highlands
December saw Lee and I heading off with 9 other British and Irish ringers to the Kartong Bird Observatory in The Gambia for an 11 day ringing expedition. The objectives being to learn more about migrant Western Palearctic birds on their wintering grounds and to increase the limited knowledge of West African birds. Located on … More The Gambia December 2011
I know it has been almost 4 months (blimey where has the time gone!!) but I thought I would start the Wild Barley blog with a tale of our honeymoon… starting with Sri Lanka with the Maldives hot on its heels (although you will have to wait for the next post for that…) Well, after … More Sri Lanka September – October 2011
Wild Barley 