Monthly Archives: July 2026

After the usual several hours of immediate pre-holiday dashing about; my standard sketchy last-minute hurling of a random selection of clothing into a bag, followed by an agonised interrogation of all my camera gear and portable tech – which to … Continued

R and I are off to the Cotswold Water Park tomorrow, to spend a week with the family at Howell’s Mere, on the Lower Mill Estate. By this stage of proceedings I should probably have been packing, or at least … Continued

I met up with the County Odonata Recorder this morning, to survey a closed reserve where the local Wildlife Trust wants to encourage dragonflies. It was a very hot, dry walk, and largely odonate-free because the three big pools established … Continued

I love the apparently relaxed way the Hummingbird Hawkmoths hover over their chosen food plants. They manage to give the impression that they’re thinking about something else, while absentmindedly threading that extraordinary proboscis into the nectar tube of a flower. … Continued

In southern Europe, where this dragonfly is endemic, the name Southern Migrant Hawker would clearly make no sense, and there it’s known colloquially as the Blue-eyed Hawker. In my opinion this is a much better name, but the British Dragonfly … Continued

R and I decided to take our Sunday walk at Compton Verney today. There was no sign of the Great Crested Grebes, sadly, suggesting that their nesting attempt may have failed, but there were plenty of other things for us … Continued

R and I have now recovered from the various excitements of last week, and settled back into something like our normal routine. To be strictly accurate though, that’s more true of him than of me, because I now have a … Continued

Today was blissfully peaceful after yesterday, though I still managed to get my heart pounding a few times.  Back on Tuesday when I walked around the lake at Croome with R and the Boy Wonder, I spotted a small mosaic … Continued

So, that was a weird day. First thing this morning R and I went into town and dropped my car at the Toyota garage, then we quick-marched round to the hospital for my appointment to give the rheumatologists yet another … Continued

Asked what he wanted for breakfast this morning the Boy Wonder replied “Chicken nuggets, please!” Why not? I thought, and put the air fryer on. After breakfast we started packing the Boy’s luggage in preparation for taking him back to … Continued