So I was wondering if nature-writing noir is a thing? The perfect marriage between my two favourite genres of creative writing. Writing this article about enjoying birds in car parks was the perfect opportunity to dip in a toe – as let’s face it, you know something bad’s going to happen in a thriller when […]
I’m delighted to have a feature on parasitic plants Vampires in the meadow in BBC Countryfile Magazine, February 2022 issue, which is flagged on the front cover under the Green Planet banner.
In which I squeeze in some birdwatching on a family holiday and chat to impressive teenage birder, Zach Pannifer, about gull identification…
It’s so lovely to see my writing alongside pieces by such a fabulously talented set of students. These are the inspiring folk I’ve had the pleasure to get to know over the last couple of years at Bath Spa Uni.
It’s so much fun writing these articles for Bird Watching Magazine and I meet such interesting birders out there. In this one in the January 2022 issue, I have some success with what I like to call mini-twitching.
I arrive at the community orchard with my guitar, and find the Apple Day activities well underway. Kids are making bird feeders by sticking seeds into apples, and there’s free apple juice made using the apples visitors were encouraged to bring along from their gardens. The promised cider hasn’t materialised but for me that’s probably […]
A woman is walking in front of me on Peckham Rye with a four-year-old. He’s looking at something in his hand, a conker in its prickly case. “Perhaps it’s food for fairies and elves?” mum says. The boy frowns at the conker. “No, Mummy, they’re for animals”. Busted. Sarah opens the heavy Victorian door and […]
Here’s my latest article in the December 2021 issue of the very lovely Bird Watching Magazine. It was a great excuse for a chat with inspirational birder and conservationist, Ruth Tingay, and good to hear from others about the experiences they’d had spotting birds while travelling. Thanks to all the contributors – I couldn’t do […]
I’m standing in the middle of the road which runs alongside Sydenham Hill wood. To be fair this is a pretty quiet road looping off the main road along Sydenham Hill ridge, so it isn’t quite as daring as it might sound. In front of me is a curving triangular verge of about ten square […]
I’m standing in the middle of Southwark Bridge. It’s just after ten in the morning on a chilly but bright autumn day. Facing west I can see a train pulling into Blackfriars station. To the north is the City of London, not quite a square mile, where neoclassical pillars jostle and jar with stripped down […]
