Many people regard the swallow as their favourite summer migrant. This affection is probably down to the fact it has been living alongside us in our barns and under our eaves for thousands of years. Added to that is its exotic appearance, impressive migration and its acrobatic flight style. By July, many UK breeding swallows …
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, woodland flowers are often one of the first signs of spring. They tend to be some of the earliest to flower in order to take of advantage of the extra sunlight …
I’ve written before about the chiffchaff’s song being a quintessential sign of spring. In fact, I heard my first one of the year just a few days ago. They are one of our earliest returning migrants, but an increasing number are also spending the winter in the UK. Either way, March is an excellent month …
As January gets into its stride, many of us start looking out for the first signs of spring. This might be the first snowdrops, or the first tree leaf buds. Later on, we might notice our first swallow or chiffchaff. Some of us may even keep a record of when these events occur each year. …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. In the UK we are lucky enough to still just about have four distinct seasons. Each has its own highlights, whether it’s more hours of daylight, crisp wintry scenes or spring migrants. But autumn is without …
My bird of the month for May is the northern wheatear. It is always exciting to see the first birds arrive back from Africa in March and April, but May is one of the best months to see them on their upland breeding sites. Listen out for their stonechat-like ‘clacking’ call. In May, you can …
This content contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission. I’m actually one of those strange people who really like winter. I have to admit, though, by the time we get to March and April, I’m ready for the arrival of spring. From the first snowdrops, …