I rounded the corner – and a gasp of horror escaped my lips. Having been away for a couple of days, I came back to Highbury Park keen to see what changes had been wrought. I love the way that nature is constantly on the move, never standing still. But this time I was bitterly disappointed by what I saw: the beautiful large meadow area had been mown. It is a good month too early, in my opinion, and I am stunned by the decision made by the council to mow right now. The extra mo

There is a strange dichotomy to the lives of Ringlets and Meadow Browns. They are so abundant, seen flying among long grasses and brambles, yet the second they land they are almost impossible to spot. Both love to hide away, making the most of their dark colours to camouflage themselves. But in photographs it is possible to capture the delicate beauty of their dark colours. #ringlet #meadowbrown #highburypark #kingsheath

Sunday was a breezy, up and down sort of day, but warm. Butterflies don’t really like overcast, windy days, but I thought it was worth risking a visit to Chinn Brook Meadows, another glorious haven for wildlife that is within walking distance of my home. Those unfamiliar with Birmingham don’t associate it with nature, yet it is full of wonderful gems such as this. Chinn Brook Meadows is a nature reserve where the meadows are only mown annually, in late summer, to encourage th

A single Parakeet flew above me, calling loudly to its pals, as I looked out across Henbury Pond, trying to spy the Moorhen family. As I waited, a tiny Wren scooted past my feet, flitting from one bit of undergrowth to another. Though I stood patiently, I only saw one Moorhen, though – but hopefully all is well with the other adult and their young chick. In the heat, I moved on; though only a little further, to the long grasses in the small meadow area by the trees. I wish I

The Swifts were screaming overhead, giving me their early morning fly by, as I set off on my walk with Scamp. Once at the park, I couldn’t resist stopping for a while by Henbury Pond to watch the damselflies and look out for dragonflies. The pond is looking very pretty right now, as the lily pads have unfurled completely, and the stunning white flowers are in bloom. All around this area are the damselflies. We seem to have more of the brilliant Azure Blue Damselfly this year

All day, the Swifts have been flying above me, crying out euphorically. In olden days they were known as Devil Birds because of their screaming, but to me they sound like they are bursting with with joy. They remind me of 12-year-olds freewheeling downhill on their bicycles, screaming : “Woo-hoo, look at me! Look at me! Look how fast I’m going!” It makes me grin every time I hear it. All too soon they will be gone, so I am making the most of them, soaking up the sight and sou

The sun was shining bright and hot today for Paul Anthony’s wildlife walk around Highbury Park, organised by the Highbury Park Friends group. I always come along to his walks as it is such a great opportunity to learn from someone who knows so much. The park’s Senior Ranger, Alf, came along too, so there was a lot of knowledge packed into this group! We concentrated on butterflies, walking straight over to the meadow area by the car park. And what luck! The hot weather had br

The meadow grasses and plants are so much longer now, and hiding in amongst them was a butterfly that moved almost constantly, staying low among the stalks and only rarely venturing above them. It was the deep, rich brown of dark chocolate, and when it rested momentarily I saw it’s discreet circles and white outline of the wings – it was my first Ringlet spot of the year. I haven’t seen any Skippers yet, but I’m not concerned as it was a few days further into the month last y

As soon as I stepped from the car I could hear the difference between Essex and Birmingham and the Black Country: the air was full of the sound of Grasshoppers basking in the sunshine. I had popped over to the south east for a couple of days, and was excited that already it felt as though my journey had been worth it. That distinctive sound was so loud, and if I stayed very still and looked very closely, I could sometimes actually see the Grasshoppers clambering clumsily amon

Two Treecreepers greeted me as I entered Highbury Park this morning, but that was not the best treat the day had in store. Today was all about butterflies... This is the time of year when they are at their most prolific. As I walked through the varying sections of the park I saw different types of butterfly everywhere I looked. A couple of Peacocks flitted around the nettle patch by a tree trunk, and in the distance I saw a Large White fly across the open grass (incidentally,

Saw my first Skipper of the year! I hadn’t actually realised there were any at Highbury Park and was wondering along, walking Scamp in a bit of a daydream, when I suddenly saw a butterfly resting on a leaf… It looked very familiar and I was overjoyed to realise it was a Skipper. I had photographed my first one ever last year, an Essex Skipper, in Colchester, and it was lovely to now see its cousin, the Large Skipper. One of the things I love about doing this website is that I