December 2011 – Over and out! – A sad Bon Voyage to Nick Tomalin
I sit here, dear reader, at the end of a damp Monday, with the light already fading, unsure of what to write for this month’s ‘Life Thru A Lens’. I’m torn because...
November 2011 – From Caithness to Cornwall – by Tom and Jo
Hello! We (Tom and Jo) are the new(ish) RSPB residential volunteers. No doubt you will see us with binoculars, wandering around a field near you soon! Like many species of bird, this...
October 2011 – Grey’s Anatomy – by Lucy Tozer
Did you know there’s a seal colony in the Roseland? When a friend told me of their whereabouts three summers ago, I had little clue how great an impact this nugget of...
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,...