Bird of the Month March: Eurasian Jay
I have chosen the jay as my bird of the month for March. Jays are woodland birds and we are lucky to live on the edge of a wood. Our neighbours have lovely mature gardens with lots of trees which brings
Bird of the Month February: Mute Swan
My bird of the month for February is the mute swan. Here's why: Swans have been really visible this month. At the start of the month the pond near us, at Tweedbank, was frozen solid and the swans stood awkwardly on
Reading the Seasons: What I Read in 2020
I wanted to do a quick tour of the nature books that kept me company in 2020, as much as a record for myself as anything else. I don't get as much time to read now that Pig is here
Walter the Beaver
You know those days at work when you have a billion important work tasks to do (like preparing for Scotland's Trade Fair this weekend) but instead you manage to sketch a cheeky beaver called Walter? I'm having one of
On Hibernation
This is the time of year - in the midst of the peak autumn glory - that I start to think about hibernating. I feel the creeping darkness shortening the day, the cold wind nips at my ears, and I
Scotland Rewards You – A Harris Holiday Blog
We're not long back from a wild but wonderful trip to the Isle of Harris, which lies 24 miles from the nearest point on the mainland, across a strip of water called the Minch. It was my first trip to
September Wildlife: What To Look Out For in Nature This Month
I am writing this month's edition of the Wildlife blog from a very windy isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. I'm here for a week with Ross & Buddy Dog. We drove up through Skye which was showing signs
August Wildlife: What to Look Out For in Nature This Month
The countryside starts to look a little untidy in August. The long grasses of July have grown heavy with seed-heads and over-estimated their strength. They flop about and fall over like unruly drunks. Buddy's coat is full of grass seeds
The Swallow Babies: A Diary
Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that we had a swallow's nest in the back porch with four little swallow babies who have now fledged and are fending for themselves. I kept a diary of the activities
July Wildlife: What to look out for in nature this month
The last week of June was absolutely scorching here in the Scottish Borders. The Birdhouse, my little studio, was swelterama so I retreated indoors to work. I've been keeping the top half of the stable door in the kitchen open