As 2024 comes to a close, so ends another year and another rollercoaster birding ride. This year has been one where I have really expanded my birding range, from the wilds of the Scottish Highlands to the raucous Spring setting of Keyhaven and Pennington Marshes. Its clearly been one to remember, with a wealth ofContinue reading “2024 Review”
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Return to Arne
It had been four years since I had visited Arne. Back then, I was a bird-crazy 8-year old, who got a buzz whenever he looked through a pair of binoculars. I’d certainly changed a lot since then, in many respects. Many special times in my life had been and gone, and I’d grown alongside them,Continue reading “Return to Arne”
Feathered Forecasters: Is There an Avian Answer to Natural Disasters?
Natural disasters are a fairly regular thing nowadays, happening all over the globe, from landslides to flooding to hurricanes. These events often claim many lives, and they’re only going to become commonplace now the world is in the grip of climate change. Weather forecasting can sometimes be unreliable as to when these disasters will happen,Continue reading “Feathered Forecasters: Is There an Avian Answer to Natural Disasters?”
Plumage Parade: Britain’s Most Colourful Birds
When you see the brilliant splendour of hummingbirds and birds-of-paradise in the Americas, and Sunbirds and Rollers in Africa, you might begin to feel a little jealous. After all, here in Britain, we don’t have birds like that. It’s all plain old browns and blacks, with an occasional flash of blue or orange. Well, whatContinue reading “Plumage Parade: Britain’s Most Colourful Birds”
Eyeworth Ponds
On a Sunday lunchtime, many people will be at home, gathered around a roast dinner, or at a restaurant for a carvery. However, at just gone midday, a group of young people was gathered on the banks of Eyeworth Ponds, near the village of Fritham, in the north of the New Forest National Park. TheyContinue reading “Eyeworth Ponds”
New Forest Ringing Session
The morning dawned bright and early, and as we set off up through the woods, smoky breath settled like mist above us. The New Forest National Park is a picturesque place, full of unique habitats and special species. And the Wild New Forest Wildlife Camp was a brilliant way to experience it. It was aContinue reading “New Forest Ringing Session”
The Wild New Forest Camp
The Autumn Wild New Forest Wildlife Camp took place from the 25th October to the 27th, 2024, and it was an absolutely brilliant experience. Easily as good as the Spring camp, the activities took a completely new perspective as the season changed, with many of them remaining the same, like the Bio-Blitz, but looking forContinue reading “The Wild New Forest Camp”
Murmatory Mutterings: The Science Behind Murmurations
Many people regard the Common Starling as a rather common bird, swarming garden bird baths before anybody else can get a look-in, and crowding out electricity pylons on many an evening. But one thing they do sets them apart from all other birds and animals. They produce one of nature’s most awe-inspiring, beautiful, confusing phenomena.Continue reading “Murmatory Mutterings: The Science Behind Murmurations”
Autumn Birding
Its the time of year when the avian world once again begins its twice annual journeys, heading for and from places across the globe. It is one of nature’s greatest spectacles, and yet the autumn migration always tends to be a little less noticeable than Spring, but no less breath-taking. Even now, influxes of ArcticContinue reading “Autumn Birding”
Ospreys and the River Exe
The Osprey is an iconic fish eating raptor, one that mate for life and returns to the same nest site every year. But recently, they’ve been randomly sighted at different spots across the country, in places you wouldn’t exactly expect to find them. The Osprey breeding strongholds of Scotland, the Lake District and more recentlyContinue reading “Ospreys and the River Exe”
