On the sheer cliffs and geos of Sule Skerry there are hundreds of guillemots. The rocks are white with their guano as the birds perch on precarious ledges overlooking sheer drops into the churning water below. Sitting near a colony is an assault on the senses. Everywhere you look there are hundreds of these dark … More Guillies and Razors
Sule Skerry is a remote island 40 miles west of Orkney. Uninhabited by humans but home to a multitude of seabirds. The island is known in the folklore of both Orkney and Shetland, captured in the tale of the Great Selkie of Sule Skerry, which tells the story of a woman whose child was taken … More The Island
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
It was a beautiful warm summers evening, although meteorically speaking it was still spring for just a few more hours. The sky overhead was a bright blue with just wisps of high clouds, while where the sun was closing in on the western horizon, the colour had been bleached out. On evenings like this the colours … More Little Wind Hoverer
It was a gorgeous, balmy, sunny evening. The bright blue sky clear above the sparkling greens of the forest. Everything seemed to glow in the long rays of sunshine as the sun headed for the horizon. Bright yellows of broom and gorse added a brilliant splash of colour to the palette of greens and browns … More Having a Hoot in the Forest
During the winter of 2015 / 2016 we spent some time setting nest boxes up in a couple of areas of Thetford Forest. The boxes were tall with a wide square opening at the top, and a little perch sticking out at a right angle. They were attached high up on selected trees, always in … More Nest Box Surprise
We were up early doors once more. Outside the car window tall, narrow, straight trees of the forest whip past. The sky is a deep blue, becoming lighter all the time. The trees are black silhouettes. If I focus on the sky behind they flick past like a hand drawn cartoon on a flip-pad, lending … More A Tale from the Reeds…
In the dark bedroom the alarm went off, waking me with a jolt. I rolled over and stopped it, thinking what on earth am I doing setting it for this hour. It was early. Too early. Baby had been sleeping through the night for the last couple months, so why was my alarm going off … More Start of the season
Despite the rather murky morning, spring had definitely arrived and the garden was a riot of colour. Crocuses ranging from brilliant white through to various shades of purple, from deep violet to pale lilac, cyclamens in shades of pink, brilliant yellow daffodils and pure white snowdrops. The calls of birds in the garden had changed … More Springs Arrival
The train rattles, clickety clack clickety clack, as it rushes towards the Capital. The scenery outside rushing by, transforms from extensive fields, meandering rivers and woodlands to neat rows of houses and industrial estates with corrugated roofs. Still I pick out geese wandering over fields, ducks wending their way along the rivers, a rush of … More Incredible Oceans 2017
Wild Barley 