September 2011 – Teacher’s Pet – by Nick Tomalin
Last week I was persuaded to spend a morning discussing the finer points of birdwatching with a group of twenty or so 10-13 year old girl guides. They were on a week...
August 2011 – What’s In a Name? – by Nick Tomalin
Turdus merula. Meaningless to many of you, I suspect, but not unfamiliar. Turdus merula is, after all, the blackbird. How many of us, whilst participating in the RSPB’s ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’ in...
July 2011 – Home Sweet Home – by Nick Tomalin
What makes a house a home? Does it take more than the ‘welcome’ door mat to make us feel like we belong? What is the first thing we unpack to give a...
June 2011 – Plucky Peregrines by Lucy Tozer
The peregrine falcon is one of the most remarkable wonders of evolution. It has acute eyesight, powerful wings, astonishing speed and a formidable beak. To watch these birds in action turns my...
May 2011 – Birdsong: A Serious Business – by Sarah Vandome
I was struck, one early spring morning, by the sheer volume and variety of birdsong all around, hinting at the beginning of breeding activity now that the coldest weather seems finally to...
April 2011 – One good turnstone deserves another – By Will Hayward, RSPB residential volunteer
A visit to Portscatho isn’t complete without a quick check of the birds using the beach and rocks. A range of waders can often be seen and in recent weeks some fairly...
March 2011 – Gulls and Gullibility By Nick Tomalin
A series of events occurred yesterday which, upon reflection, demonstrate how far my birdwatching career has come. These events indicate to me a progressive evolution of my knowledge and enthusiasm for birds,...
February 2011 – What’s in a name? By RSPB volunteer, Eleanor Reast
Moths. They’re just grey, drab things that eat your clothes, right? It’s true that some of them can only be described as drab and grey, and this is reflected in their names:...
January 2011 – In the grip of the big freeze, RSPB residential volunteer Lee Dark looks at some of the evidence for climate change and how it affects our wildlife.
Responses to a warming world There is now credible evidence of the ecological impacts of climate change, from polar terrestrial to tropical marine environments. The responses of both flora and fauna span...
December – Season’s Tweetings – by Nick Tomalin
November 8th. That’s when Christmas arrived for me. I was minding my own business enjoying a game of pool at the Harbour Club when I was struck by the realisation that a...