Category Published writing & podcasts
Amazing Aberdeen!
After a birding trip to Aberdeen, it’s gone straight to the top of my list for the best cities to birdwatch in the British Isles. Have a read here to find out why. (NB. The caption on the main photo should read Citrine Wagtail rather than Citrine Warbler)
Hot stuff!
It’s true you don’t need much equipment for birding – a decent pair of binoculars is enough for most people – but when I was loaned a couple of thermal monoculars to try out for my November column, a previously unseen world was revealed.
Giving a good impression
Where do you start if you want help enthuse beginners with the benefits of city bird watching? In this column I share what I learnt from a group of beginner bird watchers in an urban cemetery.
Ringing the Changes
One very early morning back in July I had the privilege of joining a bird ringing session on Swanscombe Peninsula, which is just outside the M25 on the south side of the Thames. Terry Hilsden was a fantastic guide and a great advocate for the vital role bird ringing plays in conservation. I also caught […]
30-minute birder column – Taking the rough with the smooth
Golf courses might not be the most obvious places to go birdwatching – I visited 3 for my July column – but just think of the possibilities…
30-minute birder column – Magic in Manchester
In which I make a trip to a fun city in search of a bloody brilliant bird which is officially extinct in London… but sadly it wasn’t to be, this time.
30-Minute Birder column – Time to clean up our act
There’s no doubt in my mind that sorting water pollution should be a national priority – and it’s one which does seem to bridge the political spectrum. In my May column I investigate the impact which river pollution is having on birds and have a fascinating chat with Professor Steve Ormerod about his research on […]
30-minute birder column – Fighting for Nature
London might be heralded as one of the greenest cities but we can’t take our green spaces for granted. If, like me, you find the subject of this month’s column – the threat to Crossness Nature Reserve – really worrying, then please do offer your support to the Save Crossness Nature Reserve campaign.
30-minute birder column – New Year fireworks
I can’t think of a better way to start a new year bird list than to spend the first week of the year urban birding. And what a bird I found.
30-minute birder column – Win some, lose some
Cardiff is one of my favourite cities and a fantastic place for a couple of days of urban birding. It was great to catch up with my birder friend Cindy, and to meet Phil Bristow, BTO county bird recorder for East Glamorgan.
The Urban Naturalist 