Shoes, Ships & Sealing Wax…

(This article first appeared in the December 2014 edition of Birdwatching magazine)

Birding has gone all hi-tech lately, with apps and software, anti-shake bins and pictur…

Jollies, Junkets, Freebies & Fam Trips

(This article first appeared in the November 2014 edition of Birdwatching magazine)

It astounds me that those who have get more, and those who haven’t often get…

Record Breakers

(This article first appeared in the October 2014 edition of Birdwatching)

When an old mate of mine got his newly retired dad into birding some of the birds he saw were a surprise. Bef…

Gone Fishing

(This article first appeared in the September 2014 edition of Birdwatching)

I enjoy watching boxing. I feel that brute force and athleticism combine, creating choreography no less fascin…

Nature’s Wonderland

(This article first appeared in the August 2014 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

Which is Britain’s largest nature reserve? Is it in Wales, or Scotland or perhaps East Anglia?

Look out …

Do Bears Sit in the Woods?

(This article first appeared in the July 2014 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

If, like me, you grew up in 1950s England you will probably have a love/hate relationship with the …

Curious Beaks

 (This article first appeared in the June 2014 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

There must be many ageing birders who use their mind’s eye to travel back to their birding roots. They say that…

Columbus Red Wobbler

 (This article first appeared in the May 2014 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

Arching my eyebrows I concentrated as my guide cupped hand to ear and repeated:

“Columbus Red Wobbler”

I …

The Truth About Cats & Dogs

(This article first appeared in the April 2014 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

It is time we started to tell the truth about cats and dogs and how they impact on wildlife. For …

Give me my Raptor today… II

(This article first appeared in the March 2014 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

Mrs Grumpy and I are fans of Van Morrison and whenever we sing along to ‘Give me my rapture today…

Rose-coloured Binoculars

(This article first appeared in the February 2014 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

I’m waiting for the perfect winter raptor day to dawn bright blue, crisp and frosty – a clear day…

This Other Eden

(This article first appeared in the January 2014 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

January 1^st may be ‘hangover day’ for many, but for me it always marks the start of the year list so its ba…

The End of Days

(This article first appeared in the December 2013 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

In the Bahman Yasht, the book of the oldest monotheistic religion – Zoroastrianism, the end of days is…

…a…

November

(This article first appeared in the November 2013 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

Thomas Hood famously wrote:

No sun – no moon!

No morn – no noon –

No dawn – no dusk – no proper time of day.

No w…

Squaring the Circle

(This article first appeared in the October 2013 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

Country File Investigates… …my fat backside!

I used to watch country file every week because, in the ol…

Weasels Take Over the Wild Wood

(This article first appeared in the September 2013 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

The minister squirmed away from the BBC interrogator. The question, which he failed to an…

Serial Killers

(This article first appeared in the August 2013 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

At the Bird Fair a couple of years ago I had a bizarre conversation about hunting with a very well known Amer…

All Things Come…

(This article first appeared in the July 2013 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

I have been known to cite my arthritic condition as the reason behind my birding method – patiently waiting f…

The No Show Man

(This article first appeared in the June 2013 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

A week or two back I looked out to see seven Ring-necked Parakeets on my washing line. They may not belong in …

What’s that big red bird again?

(This article first appeared in the May 2013 edition of ‘Birdwatching’)

Having a large international birding website, its hardly surprising that I get asked for ID hel…