The Frightened Face of Nature

  • BADGER TROUBLES

    BADGER TROUBLES

    By Graham Wellstead. Understanding Badgers: Conservation Efforts and Controversies Introduction: In this blog post, FFON contributor Graham Wellstead shares his personal experiences and insights into the complex relationship between badgers, one of our native wildlife’s most iconic creatures, and human society. Drawing from years of observation and a deep-seated respect for nature, Graham discusses the…

  • The Little Stinker! Polecats in the UK in Need of a Helping Hand.

    The Little Stinker! Polecats in the UK in Need of a Helping Hand.

    Breed and Release – did it work? By Graham Wellstead. There are today many creatures in the UK, and indeed, World Wide, that are in need of a concentrated scheme dedicated to try and reverse their decline. As a private individual I have done my best with the use of my time and money (unsupported)…

  • Breeding and Releasing British Wildlife (Before rewilding became the catchphrase)

    Breeding and Releasing British Wildlife (Before rewilding became the catchphrase)

    By Graham Wellstead Introduction: Delve into a fascinating tale of dedication and innovation in wildlife conservation with our guest contributor, Graham Wellstead. In this blog, Graham shares his personal experiences from the late 1970s, focusing on the challenges and triumphs of breeding and releasing Barn Owls and European Polecats in the UK. Before the concept…

  • A PERSONAL VIEW ON PREDATORS

    A PERSONAL VIEW ON PREDATORS

    By Graham Wellstead. Introduction: Join us as our guest contributor, Graham Wellstead, shares a captivating journey through a life enriched by encounters with nature. From early birdkeeping to close interactions with diverse wildlife, this narrative offers unique and personal insights into the complex relationships between humans and nature’s predators. Get ready to explore a world…

  • Re-Introducing Extinct Wildlife into England

    Re-Introducing Extinct Wildlife into England

    By Graham Wellstead. The Countryside Alliance recently published news that Defra are signalling opportunities for the re-introduction of a number of species, including beaver, Scottish wildcats and golden eagles. A task force has been set up by Natural England to look at the return of species which have been lost.  The draw of bringing back animals…

  • Move Over Robin Hood? With a Tribute to Pamela

    Move Over Robin Hood? With a Tribute to Pamela

    By Graham Wellstead. I expect many of my generation will echo in some way, but my life growing up in the 1940s and 50s was not run-of-the-mill. I lived with parents and younger brother in the lodge cottage at the entrance to a large Church of England Convent. The cottage was set against the edge…

  • My Woodland Odyssey.

    My Woodland Odyssey.

    By Graham Wellstead. It would not be to difficult to calculate how much of my life has been enriched in terms of years, an educated guess would be 3 to 4 years over the past 30. Walking, hawking, and ferreting in the first 10, followed by working and teaching in the middle, and back to…

  • “Wild place in a crowded county” by Graham Wellstead

    “Wild place in a crowded county” by Graham Wellstead

    I (Simon King) heard recently from naturalist Graham Wellstead who was keen to write about a special place for FFON readers – he wrote: “Here I am taking liberties. I had been considering this as I have many many pictures taken over several years of land which while close to major conurbations, retains its wildness.…

  • Pond life.

    Pond life.

    By Graham Wellstead. My garden, like many, contains a pond. Not a great lake, just a small formal pond about 8ft square with raised sides, the theory being we could sit on the edge and watch the fish. All the fish were born in the pond and over the past thirty years have gone up…

  • ‘Although not wildlife, my canary stock is worthy of comment.’

    ‘Although not wildlife, my canary stock is worthy of comment.’

    By Graham Wellstead. ‘We feel it is good to have a certain amount about animals in captivity on FFON. Many naturalists also keep or tend animals in their homes; it’s all part of the spectrum of enjoying and caring for wildlife. MK (Maxwell Knight) would certainly approve.’ John and Margaret Cooper Earlier today, while looking…

  • ‘Moments I treasure’ by Graham Wellstead.

    ‘Moments I treasure’ by Graham Wellstead.

    The absolute pinnacle of the sport of falconry is to fly a Peregrine falcon. I have, over the years, flown every species of bird flown in the UK except Eagles, and while every bird has its place, nothing compares with the Peregrine. In my early years, the bird was only available from the wild, and…

  • The Back Garden Naturalist

    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…

  • An explosion of starlings

    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 garden. I would see them elsewhere, and a number of times their glorious vast flock displays on winter evenings as they assembled prior to roosting,…

  • “Our feeders are a magnet for the sparrows and the hawk.”

    “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…

  • Notes from the Back Garden Naturalist

    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, therefore, spend most of my waking hours outside in my relatively small suburban garden. Not, you might think, much of an opportunity to observe nature.…