We started Thursday (27th) with an optimistic trip to the RSPB reserve at Marazion but it was clear that the incessant rain that had been falling all night showed no signs of abating. Instead a short drive north brought us to St Ives where contrary to popular culture I did Read more…
The morning after the day before dawned wet, windy and frankly rather Welsh. What had been a view down to the beach at Praa Sands was now obscured by fog and low cloud with even the car attacking Herring Gulls seemingly having sought shelter leaving my windscreen wipers wounded but Read more…
This past week has seen us enjoying a well-earned break down in Cornwall exploring locations around Lands End and Lizard Point. From our first ever self-found Glaucous Gull to Turnstones close enough to touch the birding certainly exceeded all expectations and that’s not forgetting of course the miles of stunning Read more…
Those of you who know me will by now realise that I’m not much of a twitcher. That desire to rush around the country chasing every lost soul has just never existed and why is that so surprising when I can watch Red Kites from where I’m typing these very Read more…
I’ve been wrong before, just once in 1995, but last nights declaration that we were clear of frosts proved short lived. Who’d have thought that after eighteen degree heat on Sunday I’d be scraping ice off the car this morning. Despite this blip however I feel confident in declaring spring Read more…
If you’re anything like me then it’s usually easy to recall that first encounter with a new species of wildlife whether it be bird, mammal or anything in between. An afternoon spent tracking Brown Bear amongst the giant Redwoods of California, my first encounter with an Albatross in Monterey Bay Read more…
It seems wrong to start the weekend with this blog headed by two articles on creatures which have sadly passed, so how about a male Pochard to remind us that there is still plenty of the living out there to see. This accommodating individual kept us company during an hours Read more…
There are now just two weeks left until our epic conquest of Snowdon, Cadair Idris and Pen y Fan (eek!), which probably explains my choice of destination on Saturday. Thus far our team training walks have all been in relatively cool, and often very damp, conditions meaning that my hot Read more…
When I said last week that the next few months would be very interesting on patch, little did I realise quite how soon those words would come to fruition. In the end it only took until Friday evening when a loud but unfamiliar call interrupted my exploration of Cefn Drum’s Read more…
The woodlands of mid Wales are very special places at this time of year, none more so than an area north of Llandovery composing the RSPB’s Dinas nature reserve. Nestled between two fast flowing rivers its stunning views continually vie for attention with some of our most colourful and vocal Read more…