A65 Flowers by Night

Otterly Perplexing

So far this year, on three seperate occasions, I've noticed dead otters on the A65 between the Generous Pioneer round about (Burley in Wharfedale) and Kashmiri Aroma restaurant. This represents a distance of just under a mile. On each occasionI've returned within a matter of hours only to discover no trace of the original road kill. Read more


Two young boys bird watching through house window. Black and white Photo

Get More Garden Birds in Your Life!

Two young boys bird watching through house window. Black and white Photo
At a time when good news nature stories seem few and far between; a small segment in this month’s British Birds magazine offers some most welcome relief! Read more


When the final cry of the curlew is heard but not recognised

Pivotal Moment for Sun Lane Green Belt  

 

I’ve lost any sense of how long I’ve been standing here in this hedge.  The twine of barbed wire and bramble pressing into my thigh is marginally more bearable than the stench seeping out of the weighty poo bags that hang out in this same hedge. Time evaporates as I watch the first midges of the year stretch their wings and dance, backlit by the shards of early evening sunlight. It’s hypnotic. A sudden, abstract flash of white in the distance catches my eye and snatches me away from my daze. I’m on full alert. It’s blurred and masked by several other hedgerows but there’s no doubt in my mind. She’s here.Read more


Two swifts (Apus apus) soaring in a stormy spring sky, Burley in Wharfedale.

The Birds From Hell, A Most Welcome Return!

It's been a largely grey and wet day here in Burley. Miserable some might say, and many would agree. Yet, among the gloominess, my cheeks have that painful glow you get when you blow up too many balloons. Pain not from blowing out too much hot air though, but from smiling. Smiling at my first sight of this year's Swifts! Read more


Supermoon with silhouette Starlings

The Moon, From the Terrace

Between 02.35 and 07.45 (GMT) earlier today a rare event called the "Super Blood Wolf Moon" occurred. Miss it? So did I! Don't worry though you get another chance  in 2021. Read more


Books on a Bookshelf

Good Reads 2019

Skip this post if you're looking for the next Margaret Atwood, Bernard Cornwell, celebrity biography or self help book. "This-is-not-the-Good-Read-Review-you're-looking-for"! If you're interested in wildlife, outdoors, conservation and the landscape stick around, I've got some little gems for you.Read more