After arriving at Taricaya Ecological Reservein the Peruvian jungle back in 2006 we quickly settled into a routine. Each morning breakfast was at 7:30am. 8am and we would head off in teams to undertake one of the projects, planting and weeding flowers, maintenance, building or looking after the animals in the rehabilitation programme. Three days … More Wild Barley Rewind: Jungle Lodge
In October 2006 Lee and I headed to the Peruvian jungle as the first stop on a 9-month world trip. Here we spent two months working as volunteers at the Taricaya Ecological Reserve, a private nature reserve in the Peruvian Amazon, located along the Madre de Dios River. Arriving in Puerto Maldonado we climbed aboard … More Wild Barley Rewind: Welcome to the Jungle
It was the quiet between two storms that were battering the UK. Storm Ciara had passed and Storm Dennis was imminent. The wind was still strong, pushing and pulling trees, bending the tall grass almost horizontal and creating waves with small white crests on the pools at Cranwich. The sky overhead was a leaden grey, … More How did the toads cross the road?
A calm Norfolk evening. The sky changing through shades of blue, darkening as the sun disappears below the farming landscape. A bank of cloud is building, and the breeze has a nip to it reminding us that it is not quite summer yet. Just off a main road and near a cluster of barns are … More Have I Got Newts For You
A sunny and warm day. Fluffy clouds skidding across the sky. A walk around the pools of Cranwich just because we can. No need for an early arrival or for putting up and monitoring mist nets (not that doing that is not fun). Just a meander along the path listening to the birds in the … More Just a meander
From bird and insect watching to simply admiring wild flowers here is the story of my 30 Days Wild. 30 Days Wild is a campaign run by the Wildlife Trusts to encourage people to connect with nature and do something wild each day during the month of June. Now I like to think I am … More 30 Days Wild
Along the grassy margins of the pools, nestled amongst the tall grass, reeds, alders and willows at the waters edge, and near to the open spaces of short grass and sandy soil at Cranwich there are a number of dark, corrugated sheets. The warm sunshine of a sunny September beats down on the black material, … More Snakes in the grass
Peace and quiet. The only sounds to be heard is the gentle lap of water on the beach, the twittering of swallows and linnets, the warbling song of willow warbler and skylark, the muted honk of barnacle geese and the raucous calls of gulls soaring in a brilliant blue sky overhead. In either direction coarse … More Fossils on a point
Cold, white flakes fell steadily from a grey sky. Fine crystals of ice, falling silently, being blown around in shivering gusts of an icy cold wind. As the morning progressed small patches of white began to gather on the ravaged grass. In the harsh conditions the birds flocked to the feeders and fallen seed at … More Snow holding back
Finally a day dawned bright and sunny. Clear blue sky, interrupted by only the occasional whisp of white cloud, arched above the river meandering its way through shady woods. Despite the thin layer of frost covering the ground this morning, it felt like spring was well on its way. Birds sang out through the clear … More An Otter Day
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