Magpies are one of our favourite birds: they’re cheeky, easy to recognize — and big enough so you don’t need binoculars to see ‘em. This one turned up just before dusk, around 4pm this afternoon. Presumably, it would usually prefer to spend the night in a tree, but we think it could have needed to [...]

For weeks (actually, make that months) we have heard hardly a hoot, despite always having the bedroom windows open even in the chilliest of weather; yep, we sure are a pair of hardy souls, aren’t we? But this past week the local tawny owls have been determined to wake Shana up in the middle of [...]

Lots — and I mean lots — of butterflies around recently, especially on the buddleia plants in the park across the road. When there are as many butterflies as this, you notice how they seem almost to fly in formation. Not quite the Red Arrows, though. Mostly the Cabbage Whites actually, although we did see [...]

Shana spotted a sphinx while mowing the lawn earlier today. Sphinx ligustri, to be precise; better known as the privet hawk moth. Its markings presumably evolved to allow it to sleep perfectly camouflaged on tree bark. Strange, then, that it decided to rest on a concrete post next to a reddish-brown fence, where it is [...]