Over the past few nights, the birding community has been buzzing about a huge overland passage of Common Scoters. The first large numbers occurred overnight on 1st-2nd April, with the epicentre of this thrilling movement situated in the north…
Martin Jump was in touch with some interesting behavior and two record shots to accompany his observations. For a larger presentation, please clik the piks.Based on observations, the Raven made no movement after landing on the marsh, bringing Mar…
I’m due for a couple of new books soon from Princeton University Press and their WildGuides series. With all that’s going on there could be delays to bring my readers new book reviews. For today’s post I raided the archive again with an ear…
I know, you don’t need to tell me, I’ve missed another day! Perhaps I need to set myself a more realistic target of posting every other day during the Covid 19 lock-down, and if I manage a run of a few days of posting every day, then it will be a bonus…
KT and myself decided on a walk in the park to have the days permitted exercise as an escape from isolation during these Covid-19 days. An excellent therapy, rewarded by finding the Little Grebe pair breeding on the old reservo…
We’re not so much boxed in. More like locked in and fastened down until the experts say it’s safe to go outdoors. I doubt we’ll get to check nest boxes in 2020.Here’s a previous visit to nest boxes at Oakenclough at the foot of the Pennine Hills back …
I’ve done it again, missed a day. My wrist has been duly self-slapped! No excuse other than Gail and I were social distancing in 19.2 ha of semi-natural broad-leaved woodland, that’s 192,000 square metres without another soul. The safest place to be I …
With birding off the cards now, the March passage of Stonechat is almost certainly over, but there has been an excellent and unprecedented passage through Lancashire this year. I have noted up to 160 Stonechat in records collec…
Dusted the bike of this morning and took my first ride down the bridle path to my new temporary patch – Longton Marsh. The short cycle was quite enjoyable as Chiffchaffs serenaded me, a Grey Partridge was trotting down the track and a Nuthatch flicked across in front of me and then gave nice views […]
I find fungi fascinating, neither a plant or an animal, and they have such fantastic and very often descriptive names; Dung Roundhead, Common Stump Brittlestern, Twig Parachute and Bloodred Webcap etc, etc, etc tens of thousands of times!The picture be…