Spring reflection: Heeding the dawn chorus
Every year the first blackbird feels more poignant, its notes pregnant with nostalgia.
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Helen Macdonald
Helen Macdonald is a writer and naturalist. Her books include H is for Hawk and Vesper Flights (Jonathan Cape).
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What the adder means
The attention you bring to bear on the landscape as you look for Britain’s only venomous snake is transformative.
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Summer reflection: the silence of the seabirds
In my lifetime, seabirds have symbolised one thing above all: pollution.
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In another pandemic winter, the lure of hibernation is stronger than ever
I thought that I could retreat from the world outside, like a hedgehog or ladybird. But after Covid we…
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Alone in the new world
This time last year I went for a very ordinary walk, unaware of the disruption, trauma and solitude that…
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What do magpies want?
I am left feeling unnerved by the sudden presence of a bird wreathed in superstition and legend at my kitchen window.
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Summer reflection: Call of the flycatcher
These are not eye-catching creatures. Field guides often describe them as “undistinguished”. But, in this unfamiliar and far from…
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Spring reflection: Learning from the birds
An exotic, acquisitive bird-watching trip on the other side of the world already feels like an artefact of another age.…
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Winter reflection: Berries from heaven
The humble berry can bring festive magic – and rare winter visitors.
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