Month: July 2026
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Birdwatch x 3
The stack of wildlife magazines waiting to be read has been growing alarmingly. To try and tackle it this is a look at three issues of Birdwatch magazine, June, July and August 2026, issues 408 to 410. Firstly though an encouraging update on the Guga hunt. Experts at NatureScot have recommended that no licence be…
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Gannets, Dogs, Chris Packham, Bill Oddie, Sperm Whales, A.A. Gill, Lawyers for Animals and a couple of life’s irritations
This photograph of a Gannet was taken in Cardigan Bay a few years ago and was used in Animal Wild. See below for updates on the Guga hunt. Dogs and their ‘owners’ Firstly though, dog ‘owners’ again. It’s always the owners. I have written previously about one in particular. Inbreeding can be an unfortunate accident…
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Lost rainforests
This wonderful display of Globe Thistles and Queen Anne’s Lace was a complete surprise in the garden this morning. I think they make a great combination and are much more splendid and interesting than any number of fancy cultivars. A lot has been happening. I remained as oblivious as I could to the football. Andy…
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A graduation, garden wildlife, British Wildlife Magazine and a tribute to Willmie Jalius
This was a beautiful Father’s Day gift from one of my daughters. The flowers are local to Liverpool where she has been at university. This week we attended her graduation at the beautiful home of the Liverpool Philharmonic, which was wonderful, full of pomp and ceremony, provoking that mix of tears and deep parental pride.…
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Wildlife in South Devon Days 3 and 4
Appealing to my enjoyment of words and wordplay, I have had look into some of the abbreviations and nicknames used by serious ornithologists and there’s a list of some of them here, some more pleasing than others. Birdwatching, Birding & Bird Travel, Birdfood & Binoculars Bird Nicknames & Abbreviations – Fat Birder In my head…
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Wildlife in South Devon Day 2, part II
Our next stop was the RSPB’s Labrador Bay Nature reserve on the clifftops. As hoped we were treated to Cirl Buntings, male and female (another first for me), many interesting plants with weird and wonderful names and spectacular views. Also we heard Skylarks and a Greenfinch. Rita and I saw a butterfly not seen elsewhere…
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Wildlife in South Devon Day 2, part I
Dolphins have been especially close to my heart for years for all sorts of reasons, including personal ones, and not least because of their sheer grace and power. So the boat trip in the hope of seeing even just one was always going to be the highlight of the trip for me. Firstly though a…
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Wildlife in South Devon Day I
This is my fourth trip with Wildlife Worldwide and they have all been terrific and very different from one another. Our leader was Mike Dilger, perhaps best known for his appearances on The One Show, also an author and expert on birds, dragonflies, damselflies and more, especially plants – his degree was in botany. I…
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David Hockney and George Lawson
David Hockney needs no introduction. I have always loved his work and had the pleasure of meeting him briefly a couple of times. When my brother was at an exhibition at the Tate Gallery Hockney suggested they go outside together and have a cigarette on the steps. A coachload of Japanese tourists pulled up and…
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An Otter
The illustration above is from: Thorburn (Archibald). British Mammals. Two volumes. Longmans, Green & Co., 1920-1921. Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story Channel 4 summarises this programme: “Poignantly uplifting documentary about Billy Mail, who moved to Shetland with his wife for a better life only to find melancholic isolation. Then an otter pup comes…