Category: Wildlife

  • October Wildlife

    October Wildlife

    Birds From this month until November, look out for flocks of winter thrushes as they move south. Fieldfares are similar to the more common song thrush but have slate grey and chestnut colouring rather than warm brown. Redwings are easy to identify because they have a patch of red beneath each of their wings. These…

  • 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…

  • Red Squirrel Week

    Red Squirrel Week

    It’s National Red Squirrel Week! I didn’t see my first red squirrel until I was eighteen, but since then I’ve been extremely lucky with sightings of these gorgeous mammals and they’ve been a firm favourite of mine ever since. I often see them while walking my dog through the forest and the first giveaway signs…

  • Red Squirrels and Cresties

    Red Squirrels and Cresties

    It has become a running joke that I’m pretty unlucky when it comes to seeing certain species. Examples include otters, badgers and deer, despite the fact that I now live in Scotland, which is essentially the deer capital of the UK! But, if there’s one animal that I have an affinity for, it’s the red…

  • Autumn Colours

    Autumn Colours

    I was back in the wood this week, helping Joan and John with their restoration project. The forecast blatantly lied about there being no rain all day, but luckily we timed our visit with a brief spell of sunshine! The breeze brought the added benefit of whisking the midges away. After topping up the feeders…

  • Amongst the Heather

    Amongst the Heather

    Recently I’ve begun helping my new friends Joan and her husband John with their exciting woodland restoration project. Once dominated by non-native Sitka spruce, the site now has a diverse range of trees including rowans, larches, oaks and wild cherries. As a result, it’s attracted plenty of wildlife from bumblebees to pine martens! So far…

  • September WILDLIFE

    September WILDLIFE

    Birds For many birds, September is the time to move. Species such as swallows and house martins, which have spent the summer feasting on insects, are now returning south to Africa for winter. Seabirds including puffins and gannets leave their clifftop nests and head out to sea, where they will remain until it’s time to…

  • 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…