A Tale of Two Plant Hunts
The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s (BSBI) New Year Plant Hunt is an annual event in which botanists, expert […]
Winter wildlife doesn’t come much better than this
It’s shaping up to be a good year for Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus). Sure, the much anticipated ‘waxwing winter’ – […]
Dipping a Toe into the Natural History of Crete
A week ago, I begrudgingly returned home from a spur of the moment family holiday in Crete – a part […]
Bringing the wilds home: a backyard experiment
The problem with living in any city, whether that be London, Manchester or, like me, Newcastle, is that space is […]
On the hunt for orchids
Orchids capture the popular imagination to a far greater extent than any other group of plants. Indeed, birders, entomologists, mammal-watchers […]
An hour in the company of aliens
Britain’s cities have served as the epicentre for countless invasions over the years. Landing sites, if you would, where species […]
The Post Christmas Escape
Dawn broke overhead as I took my first, adrenaline-fueled steps into the reedbeds of Gosforth Park Nature Reserve, the grey-blue […]
A once in a lifetime encounter
Before yesterday commenced, I had only seen three Red-necked Grebes in my lifetime. Two as distant apparitions amid undulating heat […]
The benefits of ‘curtain twitching’
We all have days when everything feels like just a little bit too much: like myriad tasks are mounting up […]
The exotic heart of London
Hailing from the North East of England, to me, a visit to London is much like a visit to a […]
Cetaceans on the Northumbrian coast
Yesterday I experienced something new and otherworldly: discovering a new side to my home county – Northumberland, for those who […]
A rare record in Newcastle
European Hornets really are fearsome looking beasts: significantly larger than their more abundant cousin, the wasp, and boasting both a […]
Beauty amid death
As a nation, we have been conditioned to view our cemeteries as dark, macabre places. And, to a certain extent, […]
A paradise of parched grasses
Walking at Weetslade Country Park this past weekend, the rolling grasslands of the former colliery site appeared almost Mediterranean. Parched […]
Hairstreaks in the morning sun
Traversing the dappled woodland of Gosforth Park Nature Reserve earlier today, I had only one thing in mind: hairstreaks. Purple […]
Small Skipper
This year appears to have been a good one for the Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris). All around the local area […]
