Sidelines

  • Wren visit

    Wren visit

    In which I find myself face-to-beak with Troglodites troglodites.

  • Turtles of the air

    Turtles of the air

    What links sea-turtles, swifts, and railway viaducts? Plus some handy ornithological photo tips.

  • A monument to lethargy

    A monument to lethargy

    Sloth is a much-maligned sin, as our driveway demonstrates.

  • A British wildlife spectacle

    A British wildlife spectacle

    Every spring, something happens in Britain that ranks alongside any wildlife spectacle you might see on telly.

  • Hats off to geology!

    Hats off to geology!

    Geology doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves. Our modern understanding of how the world formed and evolved is one of science’s great triumphs.

  • The Art of Sloe Gardening

    The Art of Sloe Gardening

    In which I attempt to grow blackthorn seedlings from sloes collected last autumn.

  • My concrete muse

    My concrete muse

    She might only be a lump of concrete, but I have an immense fondness for trig. point 4144.

  • When is a buzzard not a buzzard?

    When is a buzzard not a buzzard?

    …when it’s a marsh harrier.

  • Migrant waders anthology

    Migrant waders anthology

    I have provided an article for a new anthology about wading birds.

  • Peregrine-harrier tag-team challenge

    Peregrine-harrier tag-team challenge

    In which I witness a peregrine and marsh harrier hunting together—almost as a team.

  • Valentine's ritual

    Valentine’s ritual

    The weekend on or nearest to St Valentine’s Day marks a seasonal ritual for us: the annual pre-spring-cleaning of our blue tit nest-box.

  • Seabird jizz

    Seabird jizz

    When you see a bird often enough, its jizz begins to rub off on you—if you’ll pardon the expression.