Winter flocks and extra socks

As the weather continues to hold the East Devon countryside in an icy grip there is a little warming cheer to raise the spirits of any countryside visitor at this time. While the winter chill is something of a shock to us, our relatively mild climate

Difficult time for birds

Look at all this snow! Or, in case we’ve had a much-needed thaw by the time this article gets printed, remember all that snow!It was one thing to get a white Christmas for me this year, cold weather and frozen rain is to be expected in the far-flung North.

Sleigh Bells ring, are we listening

It seems ominously prescient that in the week that global leaders are meeting in Copenhagen to discuss the climate change agenda, the UK comes out of a period of weather that would make Noah shudder. Rain has hammered much of the country, and especially

A Winter Warmer

When it comes to wildlife, setting yourself specific targets only leads to disappointment. Focus your attentions on a single subject and you limit your chances of striking lucky, and no matter how much experience, feildcraft or knowledge you have, so

Group Decisions

A few years ago, I reported back from an introductory meeting of the Finding Sanctuary Project. In the intervening time much progress has been made and I caught up with the project last week to see how things are developing.   There are seldom

Let the Kids do the Talking

Last week I was fortunate enough to lead a number of groups from Brixington Primary School on sessions to explore the school environment gleaning inspiration for creative writing. This was part of an intriguing venture they are calling “Real men Read”,

Credit Where its Due

There are times when you are required to recognise a fabulous achievement and give recognition to those who deserve it. This is just such a time, and this column is the perfect space for just such an acknowledgement.   All too often conservationists

The Eye of the Beholder

Beauty, as we all know, lies squarely in the eye of the beholder. Good news for those of us who wouldn’t grace the pages of ‘Hello’ or ‘Tatler’ when it comes to attracting a partner! But enough of such self-deprecation, we’re talking weird wildlife this

Just My Luck

So much of being successful in life comes down to being in the right place at the right time. I have been fortunate enough to be largely at that place at that time, and I recognise just how fortuitous I am in that regard.  However, there are times

Silent Assassins

The thing with sharing one’s enthusiasm about the natural world, is that those profound “Wow” moments are often all-too brief and lose something of their impact through interpretation. The mental picture and the associated story may well be vivid and

Feeding the Passion

As much as I love to hear from people who enjoy reading my weekly waffle, it’s even better to receive news from people about wildlife they have come across. When the wildlife in question is a personal favourite I really do find it difficult to not jump

The Pitter Patter of Tiny Feet

Some encounters are hard to forget, especially those which feature someone or something special. It probably won’t come as much of a surprise to those of you who have read one of these columns before, that my best loved, most cherished encounters normally

Pink, Black and Gold

It’s been a week of colour in the East Devon countryside as we finally enjoyed a little balmy weather; I hope you were all able to enjoy it?   Firstly to a National super star which was found at Seaton Marshes. It was a meteoric rise to fame from

East Devon Snaperazzi

There was once a time when the equipment needed to capture really decent wildlife photos was very specialist, very hard to get hold of and very expensive. Even if you were willing to invest in your hobby, the chance of snapping that elusive prize-winning

Return of the Wandering Minstrels

This is the week that our wild winter residents make their long-awaited return. Yes, it may seem crass to be talking about the winter so soon after the gloomy, wet and thoroughly disappointing “summer” we’ve enjoyed this year, but facts are facts and