WHERE HAVE ALL THE BIRDS GONE?

Recently I’ve been pondering over some of the frequently asked and strange questions that are posed to us at the Old Moor Welcome Desk. I looked at some of them in last week’s blog but there was a particular one that I left over as it deserves an entire article on its own.

The question is - ‘Where have all the birds gone’? Whether it’s in their garden, on nature reserves like…

WHAT DO I KNOW?

Someone recently approached me at Old Moor’s Welcome Shed and said, “I really like your blogs but I’d like to know; Are you a proper writer or do you just make them up?”

I didn’t know how to respond. Was it an insult?  Knowing the person in question asking the question, I doubt it. A compliment? Possibly. A genuine query? Most likely, but I wasn't sure at the time what he m…

JUST DOWN THE ROAD

The problem with writing blogs to a weekly schedule is that the writer (that’s me) sometimes has to assume certain events will have or have not happened by the time the reader (that’s you) actually reads the article in question. The trick is to structure the piece so that even if events don’t pan out as hoped then the reader will still find the blog interesting enough to keep going to the end. Got it…

THE BIRDS AND….

Come on, surely you’ve worked out what this week’s blog is about just from that three word title? I usually write about birds in these articles, mainly because that’s what most people come to see at RSPB Old Moor, but the site is a Nature Reserve, not just a bird reserve so we try to give homes to as many different natural species as possible, not just the birds. I’ve occasionally…

HAPPY HOLIDAYS?

If you’ve ever seen me at RSPB Old Moor’s Welcome Shed or even seen my picture on these blogs you’ll know that I usually wear my big Tilley canvas hat while volunteering. I bought my first one over 25 years ago in Canada and it’s safe to say that it’s seen better days. I’ve had two replacements since then but the original is still fit for purpose, if a bit worn, stained and generally wrecked. I rarely…

THE BALLAD OF WHITE FEATHER AND BLACK EYE

I usually arrive at RSPB Old Moor’s Welcome Shed well ahead of opening time. That’s partly because I’m conscientious and like to do a ‘professional’ job, even as a volunteer, but also because there’s a daily ritual that I love to partake in - and it involves Britain’s National Bird (as officially declared on 15 December 1960 and further strengthened by a BBC vote in 2015).…

MERLIN THE MAGICIAN

Since the birth of the internet I’ve dreamed of owning a pair of binoculars with built-in online access. My perfect but imaginary pair would allow me to look at a magnified image of a bird, take a photo of it then link to the ‘net and find out what said bird is. The stuff of science fiction, or so I thought. Now it seems that my dream is close to coming true.

For less than £100 you can…

QUOD NOMEN TIBI EST

I know that the vast majority of my readers are highly intelligent and educated people but for the very few of you who might not understand Latin, I’ll translate the title; “QUOD NOMEN TIBI EST” means “What is your name?”.  It’s the question that we ask of all birds, animals and plants as soon as we see them, whether consciously or not. Identification is knowledge, and…

HOME STICKY HOME

Before we get into this week’s blog, here’s a quiz question.

Q - Where do birds sleep?

A - Wherever they please. Each species will have their own general preferences (a scrape on the ground, pressed against the trunk of a tree, sitting on a branch etc) but the truth is that they sleep wherever they want, making a decision each night depending on the weather and safety conditions at the time…

HOW DOES THE COUNT COUNT?

Do you remember the Muppets? Of course you do, they’ve been on our screens for over 50 years. What about Sesame Street? My favourite character wasn’t Kermit or Big Bird or any of the other ‘star’ names. I loved Count von Count, the purple Muppet vampire and, with his great love of numbers, I’m sure he’d like this week’s blog. It starts off a little dry (as many reports of numbers do) but by the…

LITTLE STARS

My sister and I have had quite a few full and frank discussions over the years, as brothers and sisters have been in the habit of doing since time began. One of our most memorable contretemps was when she asked me if I liked her new dress. Who knew that she didn’t want an honest answer? Certainly not a twelve year-old me.

Whilst by no means as obsessed with birdlife as myself, she does appreciate a…

DON’T BORE US

If you’re of a certain age (like me) you might remember a popular Swedish pop/rock duo by the name of Roxette. They performed catchy tunes such as ‘Joyride’, ‘The Look’ and ‘Dressed For Success’. These all had catchy melodies and were incredibly easy to sing-along with. Fittingly, when it came to releasing a greatest hits album they named it, ‘Don’t Bore Us, Get To The Chorus!’ and it sold by the shedload…

A BIRD OF GOOD TASTE

…and still it keeps raining. It’s been wetter than a submarine’s number plate here in the Dearne Valley for months. I’m sure that it’s been the same wherever you live. Those nice people at the Met Office tell me that the last eighteen months have been officially the wettest since records began, and I can believe it. 

This week I was working at Old Moor when yet another…

IT’S POO-POO TIME!

This week’s blog is dedicated to inquisitive children of all ages. It covers a series of questions that we’ve all probably asked ourselves at some time or other (and if not, why not?) and it’s a recognised stage of childhood development which some of us never fully grow out of. I’ve never been one to shy away from the baser aspects of life so let’s get on with it.…

A MOMENTARY PAUSE

“What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”

So wrote the Welsh poet William Henry Davies, an ardent admirer of nature and the outdoors life, in his classic work, ‘Leisure’. Its basic theme is that the usual hectic business of our lives means that we suffer from an inability to enjoy the simple things around us. I’d urge you to read it in full as it’s as relevant…

WHO KNOWS THE NOSE?

In last week’s VIEW FROM THE SHED I looked at evolution and how there’s usually a cause for the changes that improve a bird's chances of survival, however large or small. Yet there was a bit I missed out (I did say that I’d simplified it somewhat) and one reader left a great comment which, to me, summed it up perfectly. They said, “Evolution as a process has no idea of purpose. Changes are made…

NEEDS MUST

You may have heard me tell my Chiffchaff evolution story before. If not, it goes something like this…

Mr and Mrs Chiffchaff have had a lovely Summer in the Dearne Valley but they notice that the weather is turning colder as Autumn kicks in. “Let’s head off to Asia or Africa where the Winters are warmer, as our ancestors have done for centuries”, says Mr C. His beloved female has a better idea though…

IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT ALL FIELDS ‘ROUND HERE

Nature reserves tend to fall into two distinct categories. Firstly there are the ones that are all about preservation - they try to maintain the natural health of a particular landscape and habitat that has been in place since time immemorial and, without which, certain species might not survive. A few examples that immediately spring to mind are ancient woodland, salt…

DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!

If you’re as old as me you might remember an old TV advertisement for bread. I can’t remember the brand that commissioned it but I do remember the advert, which must say something about the effectiveness of that particular campaign. It featured some young mothers and their children feeding ducks at their local pond. They were throwing bread to the ducks which we now know as bad for their digestion. I…

MEET THE FLOCKERS

“Birds of a feather flock together.”  

We all know that saying, don’t we? It means, ‘all creatures like to congregate with those of their own kind’. Lots of birds and animals naturally gather together for breeding and companionship. That goes for people too. I’ll actively gravitate towards other bird watchers, guitarists or writers while studiously avoiding folks whose passions and pastimes…

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS

I have a notoriously bad memory. Directions are especially difficult for me. I’ve travelled to many of Yorkshire’s nature reserves since I worra lad yet I still find myself unsure as to how to get to most of them. I rely on my SatNav for even the simplest journeys. Or I rely on my wife. She can find her way to places on other continents that she’s only ever glimpsed briefly on a hand-sketched…

PRETTY GREEN

Depending on your age and musical preference, you might know this week’s title as either a song by The Jam or a clothing brand originated by Liam Gallagher (though it’s now been purchased outright by J. D. Sports). You might not be aware of either, and that’s fine too. It’s irrelevant really. A title is required and I only used this one because I like to make mention of music or films as a bit of fun for…

WETTER THAN AN OTTER’S POCKET

Winter 2023/24 hasn’t been a winter. It’s been one extended autumn and a very soggy one at that.

It’s been so wet here at RSPB Old Moor’s aptly named wetlands that I swear I saw a Coot with a case of trench foot. Our birdwatching reports now include observations like "Eurasian Wigeon attempting synchronised swimming routine" and "Common Starlings forming a water ballet troupe…

GREEN FOR GO

The more observant visitor to RSPB Old Moor will have noticed that I’ve been absent from my usual post at the Welcome Shed for the last few months. I’d love to say that I’ve been on a round-the-world cruise, searching for exotic new birds to add to my life list in far-flung, sunkissed locations. I’d love to, but I can’t. The sad truth is that I’ve been on carer duties, looking after my wife. She was seriously…

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?

Hello again, it’s Volunteer Shaun here. You might remember me as the big bloke with the big hat who works as an RSPB Welcome volunteer at the Old Moor reserve in South Yorkshire’s beautiful Dearne Valley. You might also remember that towards the end of last year I put my View From The Shed blogs on indefinite hiatus. This was due to several issues but I’m very pleased to report that all is…