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A Sparrow’s Tale: The World Through a Sparrow’s Eyes.
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Podcast episode 4 – ‘Don’t keep your natural history to yourself’
Simon, John and Margaret’s theme for today’s podcast is “Records and Rapport”. But first, they share messages from a variety of places including India, the Caribbean, Scotland and a safari company based in East Africa. Recorded Wednesday 6th May at 19.00. Podcast edited by Edward King. Episode show notes: Since recording the podcast, The Map’s…
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Growing close to nature during the lockdown
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The Back Garden Naturalist
Written by Graham Wellstead. As a lifelong enthusiasm for almost all things natural virtually controls my life – not quite every living thing, I admit to failure when it comes to enthusing my wife of 60 years. She does, however, enjoy watching the birds on our feeders, placed where she can see them, confined to…
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“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, during the first few weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown. She enjoys her garden but, like all of us, has to strike a balance between maintaining…
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“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 feeders are currently hosting our usual gang of 60 plus house sparrows, who alternate their position from feeding, to cover in the pyracantha hedge underneath…
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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 (not grey) squirrels in his garden. On hearing that, John (Cooper) wryly remarked: “We Sassenachs envy you your red squirrels!” Our correspondent was not able…
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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 in his music: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3gJFSH6W6wXVgybrqqNtFGq/the-composer-who-took-a-cue-from-birdsong I wouldn’t attempt to emulate either his musicianship or his record as an ornithologist, not least because my own expertise is…
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My Garden
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What’s on the bird table?
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Feeding the birds can help the nation’s ‘armchair naturalists’ beat the coronavirus isolation
Feeding the birds can help the nation’s ‘armchair naturalists’ beat the coronavirus isolation and stay connected through nature claims Haith’s bird food and leading veterinary expert. Haith’s bird food has launched a Helpline (0800 298 7054) and its team is preparing to help Britain’s birders stay connected with the outside world through observing nature in…
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Simon King talks about feeding the birds on BBC Radio Humberside
