My bird of the month for May, the whimbrel, is appropriately enough sometimes called the ‘May Bird’. This is because May is the month most of us encounter this migratory wader as it stops off at coastal sites on the way to its breeding grounds further north. Similar to curlews, but with a few tell-tale …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. To celebrate St Patrick’s Day, let me introduce you to some of my favourite places in Ireland: Galway’s islands. Having grown up on the Isle of Wight, islands have always had a special fascination for me. …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Horror films might portray graveyards as spooky places full of ghosts and ghouls but many of us actually find them peaceful spots to while away an hour or two. They are often good places to look …
September is one of my favourite months because it means that our wintering wader numbers are really starting to build up. Birds that breed in the UK are joined by many more individuals from further north, filling our estuaries and saltmarshes with their bustling figures and plaintive cries. One of the most visible, and audible, …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Not long ago I was incredibly lucky and got amazing views of a basking shark off the coast of Shetland. Despite being the biggest fish to visit our waters, basking sharks are completely harmless. These huge …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Although I am lucky enough to live by the sea and watch seals regularly, it is always a treat to see them. Part of the attraction is their transformation from lumbering, blubbery creatures on land to …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Every summer, UK tabloids set out to demonise the UK’s ‘seagulls’. To these papers, our gulls are aggressive vermin, out to steal our chips and ice creams. For many birdwatchers, though, they are admirable and beautiful …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. At this time of year, many of us dream of heading to the seaside if we aren’t lucky enough to live there already. For some, the main attractions are the ice cream, sunbathing and paddling. For …
July’s bird of the month is the black guillemot. Non-birders are probably not as familiar with this dapper little auk as its showbiz cousin the puffin. It is probably also less well known than the common guillemot and razorbill due to its much smaller range. However, it is a fascinating seabird and approaches life in …
When I first visited Shetland 11 years ago, one of the many highlights was a dusk trip over to the small island of Mousa, an RSPB reserve. Mousa is famous for two things. The first is the most complete Iron Age broch still standing, of which more in a moment. The second claim to fame …