The Bank Vole at The Bottom of The Garden
The garden is often visited by many a creature. Living in the countryside it is visited even more so by a wide variety of little wild animals. Of course, most go unseen to us as…
The Ankerwycke Yew – One of Britain’s Oldest Trees
Standing quietly in a water-meadow on the flood plain of the River Thames, is a very special ancient tree. This evergreen giant is a survivor – a lone tree that has borne witness to countless…
The Sweet Aroma of Lilacs
Syringa (lilac) is a part of the olive family (Oleaceae. A woody flowering plant which is found in woodland and scrubland from South East Europe to Eastern Asia. It’s a garden classic that flowers in…
The Dragonfly – The Lean, Mean, Flight Machine
The dragonfly is one of the oldest of the insect species, they are some of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. Modern dragonflies have wingspans of only two to five…
Gambia – Baboons and Birds
Gambia is a bird watcher paradise with around 540 bird species having been logged. Although Gambia doesn’t have the large mammal populations of East Africa day trips can be arranged to Senegal to visit some…
Botswana – The Elephants of Chobe National Park
I adore elephants. I love the way they walk, the swish of their tales and the way they splash themselves with water from their trunks while having a bath and a drink. I’ve been lucky…
Dazzling Daffodils – The Herald of Spring
At last! A glorious fanfare of trumpeting daffodils is surely one of the most wonderful sights of the year. After what seems to be the longest and coldest of winters, the sunshine has finally arrived….
A Winter Woodland
First the snow came as a light dusting, like icing on the twigs and branches. Then overnight, the big flakes fell – snow on snow – and the forest was transformed…. Bony winter branches now…
An Arctic Encounter With A Polar Bear
I’m cocooned in my cabin, the closed porthole blocking out the bright 2am sunshine of 24 hour Arctic daylight. The tannoy interrupts my sleep, announcing a polar bear sighting. I stumble out of bed, pull…
Moments With The Elephants Of East Africa
A Page From My Notebook: Bringing The Thunder.As storm clouds roll in so does this elephant family. They are letting me know exactly who is in charge. I am probably best known for photographing elephants….
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust – Healing The Hearts Of Kenya’s Elephant Orphans
In April of this year, during the period of long rains, I pushed along the flood soaked roads of Nairobi to the entrance gates of the Nairobi elephant orphanage. This was my first stop on…
The Basset Hounds – My Faithful Scoundrels
They were my faithful Monty and Jasmine, the twin Basset Hounds. Stubborn, smelly, forever hungry and lazy. But, my best and loyal friends to the end, bless them. I have the greatest memories of my…
