There are worse ways to begin a field trip than being welcomed by a Chiffchaff calling from the car park. That was how our day began at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s North Cave Wetlands, near Hull. The sun was already bright, the reserve was full of spring life and our group slowly gathered beside the Wild …
Category archives: Nature
At the Tidal Edge: A Wet Day at Langford Lowfields
Just off the A1, somewhere many of us must have driven past countless times without ever really noticing, lies Langford Lowfields. This is a place that doesn’t immediately announce itself and yet sits quietly waiting beside one of the country’s great rivers. We arrived early to a simple car park, one that lacks the comforts …
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Winter Birdwatching at Somersall Park, Chesterfield: Song Thrushes, Kestrels and Signs of Spring
RSPB Local Group Mid Week Walk. The forecast wasn’t kind and officially the mid-week walk was cancelled although as so often in the outdoors, fortune favours the brave. With wellies on and binoculars in hand, I headed to the original meeting point at Somersall Park anyway the sky heavy with grey although still full of …
Crossbill at Linacre Woods: A November Birdwatching Report from the Reservoirs
November always feels like an uncertain month for birdwatching. With the leaves thinning out you’d expect it to be easier to spot the birds that spent the summer hidden away in the foliage, although what actually turns up depends on whether the winter visitors have settled in and what is still passing through. On this …
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Walking Through Dresden, Saxon Switzerland and Berlin
Dresden The journey began in the familiar grey of a British winter, rolling steadily south by train towards Heathrow. We spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express at Terminal 4, a surprisingly calm pocket of comfort on the edge of one of the world’s busiest transport hubs. By morning, we were travellers again, setting …
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One Year On at Fairburn Ings
Late in October 2025, I found myself once again standing at the entrance to RSPB Fairburn Ings, camera and binoculars in hand. A year earlier, I had written about this place’s astonishing transformation from industrial wasteland to thriving wetland. Returning felt a little like visiting an old friend, familiar yet full of surprises. The morning …
A Month of Noticing: My 30 Days Wild Journey
Each June, The Wildlife Trusts invite people across the UK to take part in 30 Days Wild. A month long challenge to do something wild every day. It’s a call to pause, connect, and rediscover the nature that surrounds us, whether that’s deep in the hills or just around the corner. This year, I took on …
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A Family Day Among Bitterns and Butterflies: Exploring Far Ings Nature Reserve
There’s something magical about arriving early at a nature reserve. When the world is still stirring and birdsong fills the hush before the crowds. That was exactly the kind of moment I shared recently with my son and girlfriend before joining the welcoming band of RSPB Chesterfield group members on a spring field trip to …
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Braemar Wanderings: Forest Trails, Castle Ruins, and Highland Gems
A Morning Among the Wild at Creag Choinnich The best moments in nature often belong to those who wake early. As I left the hostel to the sound of an enthusiastic dawn chorus, I stepped into the fresh morning air. A robin, perched at the top of a bare tree, sang its heart out. The …
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Another Day at Attenborough Nature Reserve
There’s something special about stepping into nature in the early morning. As the world wakes up, the air is fresh, and the only sounds are birdsong and the occasional rustle of leaves. While most people were still lingering over breakfast, I arrived early for an RSPB Local Group field trip, enjoying those precious moments of …
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