Natural Selection

The CLdN Performance leaving Heysham as we returned in the evening I was on the Marinelife Heysham-Dublin survey again this month. It was a very long day, but so very worth it. Late Monday night I drove up from Blackpool, met my surveying colleague Jon and we were swiftly escorted onto the CLdN Pace. The…

I went to the Wainwright Awards for Nature Writing last year where this book was shortlisted, and Fiona and Tim talked about the reasons for writing it. I haven’t read as much about Britain’s mammals as I should have and made a note to read it at some point. At the outset I would stress…

I agreed to count Blackpool beach for the Wintering Gull Survey. All the Ribble Estuary sites were supposed to be done last Sunday, but it was biblical then so it was moved a week. The title refers to the fact that I didn’t quite appreciate what I’d got myself into. For a couple of reasons. Firstly the…

When this blog is updated it does feature some book reviews. Although this book was published in 2018 I hadn’t heard of it before seeing it in New York last autumn, so I guess many UK birders may not be familiar with it. As you would expect from someone who extols the virtue of nature professionally…

Booted Warbler by Roger Riddington 2022 – Update In last year’s article I said I would update for any late December records, which seemed unlikely. As it turned out there was something else to mention – a flock of Bean Geese found by Kia James alongside the burn in December was the fifth record. Whilst covering…

I do a monthly article on local wildlife on the Blackpool Social Club website. In case anyone who reads this blog didn’t know I’ve linked them below whilst being too busy to do much on here. December https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/43205-december-almanac-waxwings-and-starlings/ November https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/42098-november-almanac-bittern-sweet/ October https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/41339-october-almanac-swans-about/ September https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/40269-september-almanac-autumn-avian-migration-on-the-fylde-coast/ August https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/39672-august-almanac-birds-butterflies-and-foxes/ July https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/39164-july-almanac-a-birds-eye-view-on-nature/ June https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/38501-june-almanac-dolphins-and-dragons/ The header picture is from…

Trying to find interesting birds and wildlife can lead to being trigger happy, and jumping to the wrong conclusion. But sometimes the opposite applies, and you can sleepwalk into missing or almost missing something. This blog is about an example of the latter this morning. As I’ve probably said before on here I don’t get…

Yesterday was a salutary lesson in always being tuned in to the nature around you. I had no space in the diary to go birding but made the best of the walk from the works car park to the office. It was a glorious day so it was surprisingly productive. There were several Robins ticking…