Should I Feed Birds in Summer?
Currently there is a lot of discussion, even controversy regarding supplementary bird feeding advice during the summer months. Issues such as disea...
"I write as I see, feel, and experience the world around me—sharp, untamed, and always changing. Nature isn’t just a backdrop to life; it’s the pulse of life itself. The cool soil beneath our feet, the shift in the air before a storm, the quiet industry of insects in the undergrowth.
Growing up, nature was my playground. Birds weren’t just a backing track; they were neighbours, companions, constant presences. Hedgehogs caught my attention as they bustled noisily through the undergrowth, while butterflies and bees dazzled in their numbers, colours, and diversity. The land itself was alive. But over time, I saw something change. Nature was shrinking—the dawn chorus grew quieter, the wild corners disappeared, and the creatures that had once been ever-present began to retreat.
My writing isn’t about rekindling something lost; it’s about recognising what’s still here. I don’t write to teach—I write to share. Moments, memories, and thoughts from a lifetime of watching, listening, and being part of the natural world. I take the science, the folklore, the things remembered from childhood, and those only understood with age, and I set them down as they come to me.
From the soil to the sky, nature is always speaking. This is just my way of joining the conversation."
Currently there is a lot of discussion, even controversy regarding supplementary bird feeding advice during the summer months. Issues such as disea...
Today I’m sharing one of my favourite winter surprises: the sudden, almost explosive arrival of a mixed flock in the garden. One moment the branche...
This blog explores the hidden world of British garden wildlife active after dark. From foraging hedgehogs and silent owls to deer, bats, and mice, ...
I remember when the sight of a goldfinch was a moment to cherish. Rarely if ever seen in the garden, they would only ever visit during February, an...
The debate around feeding garden birds has grown recently, but I believe the question isn't should we feed them, but rather how to do so responsibl...
It’s been an interesting spring. We’ve had rain like I remember as a child, interspersed with hot and humid intervals. Nights have often been chill...
We wouldn’t be British if we didn’t complain about the weather would we? “It’s too cold, it’s too hot, it’s too wet, it’s too dry”. Most of the tim...
When it comes to wildlife, curiosity can be as rewarding as knowledge, because some things are simply imponderable. For example, how do butterflies...
Earthworms, do you ever think about them? We know birds eat them, they live underground, they’re a bit slimy and you often find them on pavements a...
Once upon a time, sheds up and down the land were packed to the rafters with chemicals set to control every facet in our gardens. Decades later, th...
We all love seeing butterflies drift through the garden – delicate, colourful and full of summer charm. But behind the beauty lies a far more intri...
Bumblebees definitely, ladybirds of course and butterflies obviously. The invariably positive responses received when discussing the mini beasts in...
Scientists who study the animals and plants that adopt human dominated (urban) ecosystems have a term for their work; adapters, exploiters and avoi...
Do you remember being thoroughly soaked in a downpour? So wet, the decision was whether to laugh or cry, because escaping wasn’t an option? I’d wag...
From the earliest green leaves in spring, to the potent aroma of flowering nettles in summer and ending with the aggressive stings of decaying autu...
Britain is the most nature depleted nation on the planet. This is a shocking state of affairs, with massive loss of habitat, intensive agriculture ...
The wonderful thing about nature is the more we learn, the more we find there is to learn. Hedgehogs are a prime example, instantly identifiable an...
I recently stayed at a remote woodland lodge with the intention of doing a bit of photography. Maybe the escape from the hustle and bustle of human...
As Christmas approaches, we start planning our great get togethers with friends and family, gifts and decorations and generally wrapping ourselves ...
I may be the wildlife man but I’m also husband, father and friend. Wildlife is just one aspect of my life. Weekends are spent in the garden with fa...
Every now and again spring upsets the rhythms of the natural world. One year it’s the ‘beast from the east’ next we’re ‘basking in sunshine’. Weath...
Over the last decade goldfinches have become a fixture of the bird table and bird feeders and astonishingly now regularly appear in the BTO ‘Garden...
Kissing under the mistletoe, mistletoe and wine, and a bird called mistle thrush. Other than these and its use as a Christmas decoration, what do w...
Does a good wildlife garden need to be overgrown, full of nettles, contain a big pond and be out of bounds to people and pets? Of course not, a goo...