Category: Summer

  • Summer’s End

    Summer’s End

    For someone whose natural attire is thick jumpers and lace-up boots, the arrival of September is a breath of fresh air. I always grapple for inspiration during summer, but the one thing that keeps my camera from gathering dust is the emergence of butterflies. This season I saw my first Grayling during a trip to…

  • The Blues Brothers

    The Blues Brothers

    During the recent heatwave I went off in search of one of my favourite butterflies: the Common Blue. I found one but it only settled for a moment before flickering off, and I was too drained by the heat to hunt for it. I returned to the same spot this week in much cooler temperatures,…

  • Look Down

    Look Down

    I spend most of my time outside peering up. My love of nature began with birds so I’m constantly checking tree canopies and rooftops for anyone perching or preening. However, each summer my attention is snagged by a different kind of winged wildlife: butterflies. I consider myself pretty competent when it comes to bird ID…

  • Summer Blends to Autumn

    Summer Blends to Autumn

    Today was the first day I’ve missed my woolly hat while out walking. I should have anticipated this from the sound of the moaning wind down the chimney, but I saw diluted sunshine and overestimated its efforts. We’ve hit that indecisive time between summer and autumn, when dressing for a walk becomes a series of…

  • Beavering Away

    Beavering Away

    This summer is zooming by! I’ve been spending the past few months travelling and writing my book, which is now due in three months. That’s quite a terrifying thought actually… My research trips have involved stomping through Caledonian pinewood, sampling local whiskies and searching for hidden stone circles. I’m absolutely loving this challenging yet rewarding…

  • Mammal Month

    Mammal Month

    What a month! It’s usually birds that take up most of my camera’s memory card, but over the past few weeks I’ve been lucky enough to get some fantastic mammal sightings, including the second rarest carnivore in Britain… Badger Recently I visited a friend’s private hide. I arrived at 2:30pm and enjoyed squirrels, siskins and…

  • Newsletter July to September

    Newsletter July to September

    As this strange year continues, I’ve been busy taking photos, writing articles and getting stuck into new projects. I’ve ticked off 36 new species this quarter including my first otter, basking shark and northern bottlenose whales. Now the temperature has started to drop and I’m really looking forward to autumn and all its exciting wildlife…

  • Back to the Sea

    Back to the Sea

    I go through phases when it comes to wildlife watching. For the past couple of months, I’ve been deep in a forest phase and all I’ve wanted to do is wander through trees and look for birds and red squirrels. My Instagram was full of greens and the first hints of autumn oranges. But then…

  • August WILDLIFE

    August WILDLIFE

    August is an intriguing time for wildlife. Although birds are relatively quiet at this time of year, insects are out in force. This month sees summer and autumn blending together and there is plenty to discover out in the countryside. So, here are some of my favourite British wildlife highlights during August. This month, yellowhammers…

  • Troup Head

    Troup Head

    I had seen gannets a few times before; on a trip to the Isles of Scilly they had flown over the boat, and more recently I’d enjoyed watching them dive for fish near where I live in Moray. However, nothing could have prepared me for Troup Head. This RSPB site in Banff, about an hour’s…