An explosion of starlings
Written by Graham Wellstead. Not everyone is keen on these brash argumentative birds but I have a soft spot for them. For several years starlings have been missing from my…
Category: Armchair Naturalists
A Robin raiding the sunflower hearts
Filmed by Harry King. Watch how fast this cheeky Robin raids the sunflower hearts. Blink and you’ll miss it.
Low Tide at Vauxhall
By Helen Jeffries – FFON’s London Correspondent. Since the lock down I’ve started taking an interest in the tides of the River Thames. It’s possible to look up the tide…
A more optimistic long view of our place in nature
By Dr Valerie Jeffries. Walking along briskly for my lockdown exercise I was watching the starlings congregate for their evening swarm on the TV aerials, and listening to quarrelling sparrows…
“Habitat is King”; look after the habitat and all will be well
By Mike Gadd. As a great lover of wildlife art and sculpture, I fell into the fascinating world of taxidermy and have tried to recreate the beauty of nature ever…
“April … hath put a spirit of youth in everything”
John and Margaret Cooper submitted the piece below, with photos, for the FFON Armchair Naturalist, from their friend Dr Jennifer Whybrow BVSc MSc MRCVS. Jennifer’s notes reflect changes during April,…
Nature notes from “our Care Home Correspondent”
“Our Care Home Correspondent”, who is no longer confined to her room in quarantine is now able to explore the Care Home grounds. Here are some notes and photos she…
‘Over 1 in 10 UK species faces a real risk of extinction’
Written by Oliver Cottis. Spring is the best time of year and we are stuck at home. With such a depressing grind of negativity, I don’t think it’s ever been…
From Paul Budgen, FLS
Further to your earlier posting on the FFON blog, I offer you a photograph of a dark-edged beefly (Bombylius major), as requested. This was taken on 8th April this year, on…
“Our feeders are a magnet for the sparrows and the hawk.”
Written by Graham Wellstead (Surrey, UK). With this splendid weather, long may it last, albeit quite chilly first thing, I have been up and about since first light. Our bird…
From a friend in Kinross-shire, Scotland
A friend in Kinross-shire, Scotland, kindly forwarded to us some photos for the Armchair Naturalist FFON website. We encouraged him to do so when he told us that he has red…
Here in Germany, we do watch a lot from our windows
Written by John F. Burton in Germany, who knew and worked with Maxwell Knight: Thank you very much for your kind email and your inspiring internet (FFON) piece, which we…
Wooing the birds
Written by Beatrice Bray. The French twentieth century composer Olivier Messeain took avian observations to a new level. Not just content with listening to birds, he sought to recreate it…
Made in Chelsea
By Helen Jeffries – our London Correspondent. As it was such a beautiful day today, and I had a day off, I went for a walk along the Thames through…
My Garden
Written by Paul Beecroft. My garden is a busy place no matter what month of the year it is. As I sit at my computer today (April 20th) in full…
It’s the Little Things by Susan Underkoffler, USA
This time of year, with Easter just past and Earth Day rapidly approaching (April 22), there is nothing better than running around in the woods appreciating the new Spring growth.…
A Q&A session with our new Australian correspondent, Wes Hooper
Wes, our new Australian correspondent, lives north of Sydney, a couple of miles inland from the ocean and next to a set of three interconnected saltwater lakes. In response to some…
Greetings from London SE4
Looking North from Blyth Hill towards Canary wharf, my city in lockdown – so sad and weird. Oh the sound of silence and breath of clean air. An occasional plane,…
Nature Notes from Our Care Home Correspondent
Here are some photos sent to us by an Armchair Naturalist who is currently in coronavirus quarantine, confined to one room of a Care Home, but enjoying looking out at plants…
From a friend in France
Written by Dr Jean-Pierre André Thanks very much for that excellent idea (FFON). I have many plants on my balcony (third floor, in town) and at times I can see some…
Notes from the Back Garden Naturalist
Written by Graham Wellstead in Darkest Surrey Simon King urges us all to become armchair naturalists during these rather frightening times. However, if I sit down, I fall asleep. I,…
Is that a deer I see before me?
Written by Norma Chapman – leading deer biologist. Muntjac deer are now very widespread in Britain, not just in the countryside but frequently living in villages and towns. Gardens provide…
Tales from the Riverbank
By Helen Jeffries – FFON’s London Correspondent. Having unexpectedly got an extra day off on Easter Monday I set out in the freezing cold for a bracing walk along the…
“It’s been an exciting week for us two Norfolk Armchair Naturalists”
Written by John and Margaret Cooper. Easter, but it doesn’t feel like it because of the personal, national and global concern about Covid-19 and growing number of deaths. However, as…
Being isolated at home in Pennsylvania, USA won’t stop forensic scientist and wildlife enthusiast, Susan Underkoffler from watching nature.
A contribution from Susan Underkoffler, forensic scientist and wildlife enthusiast, who is currently isolated at home in Pennsylvania, USA. One thing this crisis is good for is getting people outside…
Bats, birds, bold foxes and stargazing: is nature reclaiming the city of London?
Written by Helen Jeffries – our London correspondent. Since the clocks went forward I’ve been seeing some beautiful dawns as I walk to work through deserted London. Because a lot…
Do you have a question for the first ‘Armchair Naturalists’ podcast?
We’re recording our first podcast session tomorrow (Tuesday 7th April) evening – if you have a question to put to the FFON /ARMNAT team, please email it to thefrightenedfaceofnature@gmail.com and…
What’s on the bird table?
A male Blackbird (Turdus merula) taking sunflower hearts:
