Blog index

39. Books for Xmas 2024, eight great books on Nature upcoming and during the year December 2024

38. Unofficial Bookclub No 12, Shieldbugs & Ponds, Pools and Puddles, New Naturalists August 2024

37. Unofficial Bookclub No 11, The Complete Insect by David Grimaldi April 2024

36. Europe’s birds-of-paradise Bohemian Waxwings. A flock of 350 in Derbyshire January 2024

35. Volunteers ’23 a celebration of Nature Volunteers who impress me & make a difference December 2023

34. Unofficial Book Club No 10 Beetles of the World, Maxwell Barclay & Patrice Bouchard.. September 2023

33. Unofficial Book Club No 9 Solitary Bees by Ted Benton and Nick Owens ……………………. August 2023

32 Unofficial Book Club No 8 Rewilding an Urban Garden by Gerry Maguire Thompson…….. June 2023

31. Unofficial Book Club No 7 Bees of the World by Laurence Packers …………………………….. February 2023

30. Unofficial Book Club No 6 The Peregrine by Richard Sale and Steve Watson ……………… January 2023

29. Unofficial Book Club No 5 Trees by Peter Thomas a glorious survey of its subject ……… December 2022

28 – Spurn Revisited: on a place central to my life as a naturalist: Bird Observatory …………. December 2022

27 – Unofficial Book Club No 4, titles by Lily Peters & Cherry Potts (ed), Arachne Press ……. January 2022

26 – Unofficial Book Club No 3, The Birds of Europe, Rob Hume et al, Wild Guides ……………. October 2021

25 – on Going Wild in Derbyshire, four-day breaks in the Peak District ………………………… October 2021

24 – A superb week of wildlife at Bridlington & Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire …………… September 2021

23 – Unofficial Book Club No 2, Britain’s Insect, Paul Brock, Wild Guides ………………. May 2021

22 – Saving Hogshaw – the housing threat to Buxton’s last bit of wild ground ………………. February 2021

21 – On Pagnol’s Water of the Hills part 2, reflections on non-human nature ………………… January 2020

20 – On Marcel Pagnol’s Water of the Hills a favourite novel & a parable for our times ….. November 2019

19 – Post on Ivy Bee Colletes hederae and other insects in the hedgerow ……………………. September 2019

18 – An account of a Sparrowhawk catching, killing and eating a Common Starling …….. May 2019

17 – A brief obituary and memoire of my friend the artist Martin Woodcock 1935-201….. February 2019

16 – Selling Blackwater Carr account of my five-acre patch in east Norfolk …………………… November 2018

15 – The Nature of Nature: reflections on an event at the Green Party conference ………… October 2018

14 – Watching Cinereous and Griffon Vultures in Extremadura in s-w Spain ………………….. August 2018

13 – On my other favourite European landscape – the lake regions of Prespa & Ohrid ……… May 2018

12 – On Zagori, my most beloved and personally important European landscape …………… July 2017

11 – Companion piece on a nature writing course set in Extremadura, s-w Spain …………… November 2016

10 – On one of my all-time favourite travel books, Bitter Lemons by Lawrence Durrell .…….. December 2015

9 – An outline of a Writing & Wildlife holiday that I established in Extremadura, s-w Spain … April 2015

8 – A Short Party Political Broadcast on behalf of the Nature party and the need for action .. March 2015

7 – Partners in Rhyme: Judging The Rialto Nature Poetry Comp with friend Matt Howard ….. January 2015

6 – (Oh The Holly &) The Ivy – a celebration of Ivy & its multitudinous wildlife riches ………. December 2014

5 – Meadow Making at Blackwater: working with Hawk & Owl Trust at Blackwater Carr ……….October 2014

4 – An Island in Two Seas: on staying at Mary’s Mum & Dad’s place in North Ronaldsay ……… July 2014

3 – The Casual Killing of 5 billion dogs – a review of Trash Animals and The Global Pigeon ….. June 2104

2 – King of a Million Spider – account of progress at my Norfolk patch Blackwater Carr ………. April 2014

1 – Ty Newydd Nature Writing 2007-2113 on working at this fabulous Welsh writing centre .. October 2013