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Much-Birding-in-the-Marsh
When the wind is howling, fit to blow you off your feet, going out for a walk can be a bit daunting, even for the most enthusiastic of naturalists. Much better to pack a thermos of hot soup and head...
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China Ducks and Wooden Cats
Once again, it has been great weather for ducks. The Derwent, I am pleased to say, has been behaving itself, the goosanders are back for the winter, the mallards are doing whatever it is that mallards...
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Between the Lakes
Just to the north of Keswick, beyond the dual carriageway of the A66, lies a remnant of the old coach road from Penrith to Cockermouth. This is where we begin our journey, exploring the area between...
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Too Beautiful For Words
On a frosty December morning, with temperatures struggling to get to zero, and the sun as dim as an old man's eyes, the landscape is too beautiful for words. So, I'm not going to waffle on this week,...
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Happy Yuletide
At 9.47 GMT this evening it will have been dark, here in Cockermouth, for about six hours. All across the northern hemisphere, it is the longest night of the year, as the sun reaches its lowest point,...
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Remotest Cumbria
With all the razzmatazz of Yuletide in full swing, it's nice to take some time out and look out over the fells, in a remote spot, miles from anywhere.The only civilisation for miles, nestled alongside...
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Beyond Crete
For sixteen years, I lived a somewhat idyllic life on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean, and many of you know me from The Crete Nature Blog. I returned to the UK in 2020, settling in...
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Elvis Road Tour 2023
“Spanner!” said Ishbel, looking me in the eye.A bit rude, I thought, wondering what I'd done to deserve this verbal abuse.“For the gas bottle,” she explained.We were loading the last items onto the...
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Threlkeld Mining Museum
It's been a while since the last blog post, mainly due to the poor weather, but we have managed to make one excursion: to the Threkeld Mining Museum (I take you to all the best places). Unfortunately,...
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Long Meg and her daughters
A few miles to the east of Penrith in Cumbria, lies England's third widest stone circle. Constructed in Neolithic times, it consists of 69 rhyolite glacial erratics (the daughters) and a huge block of...
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Shark!
“What do you want to do on your birthday?” asked Ishbel.“Go hunting for mermaid's purses,” I replied.Ishbel wasn't phazed. After all, she's getting to know my eccentricities now, and she's savvy...
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Hardknott Pass Roman Fort
As Cumbria has just been split, administratively, back into its original counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, we decided to walk in both of them at the weekend.We would also have walked into the...
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Old Rocks and Old Rockers
This week finds us across the other side of the north of England in the Cathedral city of Durham. Building of the magnificent cathedral started in 1093, on a sandstone outcrop in a loop of the river...
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Up With The Lark
Elvis the campervan is still languishing in a garage down in Morecambe somewhere, so we took the on loan van up to Mawbray on the Solway coast at the weekend. It's a great spot for birding, and we...
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Buttermere and Crummock Water
Between Buttermere and Crummock Water, a small stream runs, by the name of Buttermere Dubs, which is where we are taking you this week. Dubs is a Scottish and northern English dialect word for pools...
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Snakes Alive!
A little over two and a half years ago, in October 2020, I took you down to look at the Dunescape of Drigg. We were, as you may recall, looking for Tiger beetles and Adders. There was plenty to look...
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England Coast Path - Maryport to Flimby
We are very fortunate in that the England Coast Path now covers virtually all of the Cumbrian coastline. You can walk from Green Road Station in the south of the county to Allonby in the north, a...
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England Coast Path - Flimby to Workington
Last week we walked the King Charles III England Coast Path from Maryport to Flimby. This week, I thought we'd continue along the path from Flimby to Workington. It's a beautiful sunny day for...
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Shedding Bricks
During the years that I spent on Crete, I realise now, that I unintentionally built a wall. On one side of this wall, was myself, nature and a select few members of the human race. The rest of the...
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Rivers, Lakes, and Tarns
Firstly, let me wish you all a happy summer. The solstice passed last week, so where better to start our journey than at a stone circle. No-one has come up with a definitive reason as to why these...
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Breaking Rocks in the Hot Sun
Before we go off on our travels, I just want to lead you down the garden path. Last year we created a wildflower meadow in one corner of Ishbel's garden. It was not a roaring success, but this year we...
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Where in the World?
If you follow me on facebook or instagram, then you'll know that I've been teasing you all week with clues as to where this week's blog post is set. The first picture I posted gave rise to guesses of...
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Thyme for a Cumbrian Cassoulet
The botanists are trying to confuse me again! The plant on the left used to be known as Mediterranean Thyme, Thymus capitata. It looked like thyme, it tasted like thyme and, as far as I was concerned,...
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Wet and Dry
It had been my intention, on returning from my summer break from blogging, to bring you a whole series of blogs, featuring the diverse wildlife of Scotland, Hungary, Austria and Germany. However, the...
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The Badgers of Rydal
Last time we chatted, I mentioned that I was starting work on a new book, looking at the state of British mammals in times gone by and how they are fairing now. On rainy days, I've been poring over...
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