Late Martins
Only once before have I found the nest of a pair of House Martins with young still being fed in the nest in October. Last week on a day of pouring rain I watched two young House Martins plucking up the courage to leave the nest and fly to Africa. It was an appalling day […]
Holly Blue
What a surprise! As every nature-lover is aware this year has been the worst ever for butterflies. The wet, cold spring has been to blame so last weeks five days of warmth and sunshine was a bonus. In our garden only one butterfly appeared and it was a 56 year first – a Holly Blue! […]
On Your Own
After last weeks photos of the male Barn Owl it is now time to catch up with three of the five young that have now fledged from this amazing pair of Barn Owls – the most successful pair in Greater Manchester this year. They now have to catch prey themselves and learn to recognise all […]
Six Months Work
It is now more than six months since my local male Barn Owl has had to provide food for his family. Firstly he feeds the female for four weeks while she incubates the eggs. Then he finds food for the five young for at least ten weeks while they are in their nest-box. Finally, he […]
Heading South
In the last couple of weeks Ospreys have spent time fishing lakes and reservoirs in the Pennines as they headed south to their wintering grounds in Africa. Whenever I see an Osprey it always takes me back 15 years to a magical day, when I spent 11 hours in a hide, 20 foot off the […]
Canal Delights
For more than fifty years I have walked the local canal tow-path and admired the wildlife that calls it home. At present young Kingfishers and Common Sandpipers are on the move with adjacent fields attracting a flock of over a hundred Goldfinches feeding on the thistle seeds.A Roebuck regularly swims across the canal but not […]
The Covid Octopus
It is now nearly four years since the Covid restrictions were relaxed and we were again able to visit Islay. After losing our June holiday I was anxious to re-visit Jura to search for Otters. When we arrived at the ferry the ferry-man informed us that as nothing on Jura was open to the public […]
Polar Bear Time
August is the time to visit Spitsbergen to look for Polar Bears as there is less sea-ice then and many of the remote fiords are accessible to the cruise-ships. Any wildlife enthusiast lucky enough to visit Spitsbergen will have Polar Bear and Ivory Gull at the top of their wish list.With luck you may come […]
Lunchtime
For the male Barn Owl breeding time is his most demanding time of the year.For four months he has to provide all the food for the female and their young.I have never spent as much time filming any species as I have on my pair of Barn Owls as they have five young about to […]
The Ghost Of Summer
It is now ten years since I last filmed Barn Owls in summer but I had not forgotten how spectacular they are as they hunt at sunset on a summer evening. Technically they give you lots of problems being white birds against a shadowy background and they never fly where you want them to!! However, […]