• A nature lover's 12 days of Christmas

    Feeling festive? Here are 12 ways to enjoy 12 days of Christmas countdown... Ready?

    Holly, Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

    1. The holly, the ivy and the mistletoe

    Now’s the time to deck our halls with this triumvirate of festive foliage - but if you’re out gathering it, be sure to leave plenty behind for the wildlife. All of these evergreens play an important role in supporting birds in winter. Red holly berries…

  • 4 ways to a nature-friendly festive feast

    It seems to sneak up earlier every year, but around here the fairy-lights are going up, the malls are piping out Christmas crooners, and even my family has started rummaging in the attic for wreaths and swags. We have plenty of festive feasts marked on the calendar, too - from work team lunch to festive family fun days at the kids’ schools. 

    Although it’s a time for excess and gay abandon, as a nation we’re going…

  • 5 top tips for seeing a hawfinch this winter

    If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise. A handsome finch, so secretive and scarce that even the keenest birders go years without catching a glimpse of one is invading the UK in numbers not seen in living memory. This big-beaked beauty is turning up literally everywhere, providing unprecedented opportunities to see one in the UK. My blog this week aims to help you do just that.

    This classy…

  • 3 easy homemade bird feeders

    No bird feeder? No problem. Try these easy homemade ways of feeding your local birds this winter.

    1. Cardboard roll bird feeder


    A simple cardboard tube feeder is easy to make and a quick tasty treat for birds. Photo: Emma Pocklington

    You’ll need

    - A cardboard tube (a kitchen roll is perfect)

    - Two long sticks or skewers

    - Some lard or suet

    - Birdseed

    - A piece of string

    First, make four holes in one end…

  • My guide to building a scrap wood nestbox this winter

    Winter is the best time for small DIY projects. Sipping cups of tea in the shed while messing around with tools and wood is a welcome reprieve from the commercial madness of Christmas and the daily grind of house chores. I feel DIY projects, such as building a nestbox, can be successfully deployed as excuses to avoid mundane household tasks and thinking about what to get people for Christmas. After all, I’m giving nature…

  • Remember, remember

    With Halloween out of the way, my kids continue their exciting week with the prospect of a public firework display and possibly a bonfire. 

    Sunday is the 5th of November, and backyards across Britain will be ablaze, the skies filled with popping, gurgling and fizzing sparkles. 

    I can only imagine what our wild night flyers make of this... (Photo: RSPB-images.com)

    Despite its gruesome origins, Bonfire Night is a high…