May was a frantic month; the peak of the busy season at work and at the allotment. June will be no different by the looks of my diary. I decided to take a walk in some local woods, to calm my soul ahead of another wave of commitments. It is amazing to see, thanks …
What to Look for in Nature – June
What to Look for in Nature – June Welcome to Summer! Not only does June include Midsummer’s Day, the point of the year when day-length is at its longest, but is also the peak time for wildlife activity. Across the country, wildflowers are blooming, insects are buzzing, birds are nesting and young animals are growing …
The Great British BBQ
The Great British BBQ – fuelled by Bronze Age burners, butterflies and bramble-bashing. There is very little that shouts ‘British’ more than a damp bbq on a rainy bank holiday Monday. Across the country this weekend people will be partaking in two of the nations favourite activities: commenting on the weather, and cooking over charcoal. …
Wealden Worship and Wrens in the Woods
I could hear the song thrush even before I opened my eyes. In that lull of morning when the world breathes gently and gathers itself for the day, I lay and listened to the bird’s song ringing out like a call to prayer. Yellow spring sunlight found its way through the east-facing window of the …
What to Look for in Nature: May
Marvellous May. Certainly one of my favourite months of the year, and the month that usually forms the bridge from spring into summer. True summer is a few weeks off yet, coming around the summer solstice in mid-June, but May gives us a glimpse of those deliciously scented, warm sunny days that enchant us. This …
A Nature ‘How To’: Plant For Pollinators
How to: plant for pollinators April marks the start of gardening season for many people. Gardening is possibly one of the UK’s most popular hobbies or past times, enjoyed by all ages and backgrounds, right across the country. Whether you live in a rural idyll or in the heart of a bustling city, have acres …
What to Look for in Nature – April, Part 2
In April, there is so much happening in the natural world. If any month surely deserves two editions of ‘What to look for’ blog posts it is this one! In ‘What to Look for in Nature – March & April’ (published March 16th 2018) we looked at the signs that spring was gaining momentum; frogspawn …
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Little April Shower
If March is the month of winds and the last snows, April is certainly the month of showers. So far this year, in my little corner of Sussex at least, it has been a cold, wet spring. Following the thaw that swelled the ditches with melt water and liquified within the ground to create sodden …
New Nature & The Quest for Wild Sussex
I've been bursting to share this news with you all week! I have been given the opportunity of writing a regular column in one of the best magazines (in my humble opinion) currently in publication! Best, because it is innovative, fresh, engaging, stunningly well produced, and all created free of charge by young naturalists (aged …
Blackthorn Winter
It has felt like we have been poised on the cusp of the seasonal change for weeks. The cold weather we associate with winter lingered long into the 3rd calendar month of the year, and according to the weather forecast, hasn't yet been completely banished to the mysterious artic north. But snow isn't just a …
Sussex Field Notes 