Rebecca On The Wing

Category: Biology

  • Micrarium

    Micrarium

    Recently I was accepted onto the Travel and Nature Writing MA at Bath Spa University, which I’ll be starting later this month. In preparation for this exciting new challenge, I signed up for a travel writing workshop run by Peter Carty, who regularly writes for publications such as The Guardian. Although my focus will definitely…

  • A Bird in the Hand

    A Bird in the Hand

    On the last day of Birdfair, I was keen to escape the bustle and crowds of the marquees and explore the surrounding reserve. On my way out to one of Rutland Water’s many hides, I was drawn to a small crowd gathered around the BTO bird ringing tent, where a demonstration was in full swing.…

  • Inspired by a Blowfish

    Inspired by a Blowfish

    Last weekend I stayed with my grandmother at her lovely house in Frome, Somerset. I love my mini holidays there; my bedroom window overlooks a meandering river, and on the other side is a bustling market and a glimpse of the library through the overhanging trees. I was particularly excited on Saturday morning to discover…

  • Why are Island Tortoises so Large?

    Why are Island Tortoises so Large?

    New research has shown that giant tortoises may not be large because of their island lifestyle, as previously thought. A team of researchers has gathered extensive genetic data from both living species and fossils of extinct species to discover the truth of how tortoises have evolved, in an attempt to answer the question of how…

  • A Biotope Weekend

    A Biotope Weekend

    Friday The trains to Glasgow and Largs and the ferry to the Isle of Cumbrae were all fine. It was when I boarded the bus to the Millport Field Centre that it dawned on me: what on earth had I let myself in for?! I’d booked onto a weekend course run by the Field Studies…

  • Here For Your Entertainment

    On Friday we went on a field trip to The Lake District Wildlife Park. In Alex’s lectures we’ve been studying the behaviour of animals in captivity, so visited the park to see if we could see any of the same signs in the animals they kept there. It hadn’t been too long since my last…

  • Birds at the bottom of the garden

    As of today, I’ve been living in my new house a week! It’s not the biggest or the most glamorous, but it’s certainly enough to feel like home. There is also a generously sized garden that oozes potential. Currently, the grass is several feet high and tickles the midriffs of the two apple trees, but…

  • Nick Baker at Birdfair

    Two weeks ago, Birdfair was held at Rutland Water Nature Reserve from Friday to Sunday. As we were on holiday in Scotland, we could only make the third and final day, but I am so glad we managed to experience this fantastic event. Upon arrival we were greeted by an explosion of colour and noise.…

  • Carna – Day Five

    Species seen:   Chaffinch – Fringilla coelebs Common Porpoise – Phocoena phocoena Common Seal – Phoca vitulina Common Shag – Phalacrocorax aristotelis Common Tern – Sterna hirundo Golden eagle – Aquila chrysaetos Grey Heron – Ardea cinerea Herring Gull – Larus argentatus Hooded Crow – Corvus cornix Lesser Redpoll – Acanthis cabaret Oystercatcher – Haematopus…

  • Carna – Day Four

    Species seen: Barn Owl – Tyto alba Bladder-wrack – Fucus vesiculosus Butterfish – Pholis gunnellus Chaffinch – Fringilla coelebs Common Blenny – Lipophrys pholis Common Hermit crab – Pagurus bernhardus Common Pipistrelle – Pipistrellus pipistrellus Common Sandpiper – Actitis hypoleucos Common Tern – Sterna hirundo Eurasian Otter – Lutra lutra Eurasian Rock Pipit – Anthus…