Birding This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine February 2018 Like my childhood self I am in awe of the vast blueness of sky over the summer reed-bed. Is this ineffable depth, breadth and beauty God? Unknowable and visceral, my … Continue reading →

Tree Huggers & Tree Muggers This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine January 2018 Who could resist running one’s hand along the skin-smooth bark of a beech tree or hugging a hornbeam? Can anyone doubt the primal pleasure of hearing … Continue reading →

Garden Cities This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine November 2017 I watched the World Athletics Championships Marathon wending its way through the historic streets of the City of London and was struck by two things over and above my … Continue reading →

Tales of the Unexpected This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine Autumn 2017 Outside a summer gale is rocking every bush in my tiny garden… this seems to be an inevitable consequence of sweeping the patio and clearing all the … Continue reading →

Tales of the Riverbank This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine October 2017 Boxing is brutal with many more losers than winners. One might argue it saves tearaway teenagers from a life of crime, but, in a progressive society it … Continue reading →

Crop Rotation This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine September 2017 Half a century ago, a Malaysian friend told me of his dream. He wanted to write, but first needed to earn enough money to buy a small plot of … Continue reading →

Rubbish Party This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine August 2017 The ‘Rubbish Party’ won a council seat somewhere in Scotland in the last council elections. If you think this appellation is an unprecedented admission of political ineptitude, let me … Continue reading →

Old Gits & Spoilt Brats This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine July 2017 Rant Warning! Why on earth would you be bothered about disability access to nature reserves? It’s obviously not much of a problem as just about every … Continue reading →

Birding Doldrums This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine June 2017 Picture this, everyone around you is just getting into their shorts and sandals, beaming with bonhomie and generally frolicking in the sunshine and you stare out at the blue … Continue reading →

Snap Happy Birders  This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine May 2017   The photo revolution took off when we no longer needed to buy film. When I was given my birthday ‘box brownie’ it took me about two months … Continue reading →

Nature Study This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine April 2017 The question I see asked on local birding forums, more than any other, is ‘how do I get the kids interested in birding?’ Some may take to birding like … Continue reading →

Mindfulness (This article first appeared in the March 2017 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) Mindfulness seems to be the buzzword of the last year or so… it’s a therapeutic technique, the idea being that you achieve a desired mental state by … Continue reading →

Waxwing Winter Wonders (This article first appeared in the February 2017 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) This winter waxwings were far enough south for me to see some on an outing that took just forty-five minutes, including thirty minutes watching time! … Continue reading →

Bogies & Bugs (This article first appeared in the January 2017 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) Do you have a bogie bird? One that, despite not being rare you keep failing to connect with, especially after passing someone saying its ‘showing … Continue reading →

Women’s Work (This article first appeared in the December 2016 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) In the 1970’s TV sitcom ‘I didn’t know you cared’ Uncle Mort says that women are made for the fripperies of life, like DIY and carrying … Continue reading →

Call me 50 (per)cent (This article first appeared in the November 2016 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) Somewhere between 65% and 70% of this sceptre isle’s land is used for agriculture. 57% of agriculture is ‘rough pasture’ and another 24% is … Continue reading →

Eat The Rich (This article first appeared in the November 2016 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) Jonathan Swift of Gulliver fame wrote his famous tract A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burthen to Their Parents … Continue reading →

Brave Kiwis (This article first appeared in the October 2016 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) I remember the first time I visited my parents after they emigrated to New Zealand; as we started our descent into Auckland the pilot came on … Continue reading →

Rio & Reality (This article first appeared in the September 2016 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) Do you remember the Rio dictum ‘Think Global, Act Local’? How about NIMBY – ‘Not In My Back Yard’? Not everyone does. My local Green … Continue reading →

Organics (This article first appeared in the August 2016 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) My food bill has risen and I’m glad! We recently decided to change what we eat. I’m still a non-meat eater married to a carnivore and we … Continue reading →