Alick Simmons is a veterinarian, naturalist and photographer. After a period in private practice, he followed a 35-year career as a Government veterinarian, latterly as the UK Government’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer. Alick’s lifelong passion is wildlife; he volunteers for the RSPB and NE in Somerset, is chair of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare,…
Category: BLOGS by guest authors
Guest blog – Ramridge Raiders part 2 by Paul Sterry and Rob Read
Authors and photographers, Paul and Rob spearhead the international competition Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) whose lead judge is Chris Packham. Woodlands have been on my mind recently, what with my growing interest in Rob’s local patch Ramridge Copse. Perhaps because of that when I glanced at my bookshelves the other day I spotted…
Guest blog – I must tell you something of the Beaver by Derek Gow
“I must tell you something of the Beaver”. When William Harrison the Canon of Windsor wrote those words in 1577 he presented his description of the beaver he knew in the following fashion “Certes the tail of this beast is like unto a thin whetstone, as the bodie unto a monstrous rat: the beast also…
Why I wrote The Blue Hare – by Hugh Webster
After his site was hit with technical problems on the same day my book was reviewed there, Mark kindly offered me the option to post a guest blog on how I came to write the book. The idea to write The Blue Hare came to me in October 2016 while I was working at a…
Guest blog – Caddisflies and Molinia by Paul Sterry
Paul Sterry has an academic background in freshwater biology and is a passionate conservationist. He has been writing about natural history and photographing wildlife for the last 40 years, with an emphasis on the British scene. The Case for Caddisflies and much-maligned Molinia. Over the past few years I have developed an interest in caddisflies…
Guest blog – Ramridge Raiders part 1 by Paul Sterry and Rob Read
Paul Sterry. Rob Read. Authors and photographers, Paul and Rob spearhead the international competition Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) whose lead judge is Chris Packham. Spring in Ramridge Copse. Photo: Rob Read. Rob lives in the quaintly-named Hampshire village of Ragged Appleshaw and one of his local patches is nearby Ramridge Copse, an extensive…
Guest blog – Rewilding: a personal perspective by Paul Sterry
Rewilding – a personal perspective There was a time in my life when the worst question you could ask me was ‘Where were you born?’ I would squirm and try to change the subject but if pressed I had to answer ‘Basingstoke’. In my formative years this was a source of deep embarrassment. Jane Austen…
Guest blog – Hunting for the Wild by Ben MacDonald
Ben Macdonald is a conservation writer, field director in wildlife television, and a lifelong naturalist; passionate about restoring Britain’s wildlife, pelicans included, in his lifetime. He has been the conservation columnist for Birdwatching magazine, as well as a contributor to the RSPB Nature’s Home and BBC Wildlife. He has worked on a range of TV series, including for the…
Guest blog – A Diet of Worms by Paul Sterry
Paul Sterry has an academic background in freshwater biology and is a passionate conservationist. He has been writing about natural history and photographing wildlife for the last 40 years, with an emphasis on the British scene. Vermin. One way and another, it’s a familiar word these days but one where meaning and interpretation have morphed…
Guest blog – Why do we feed wild birds? by Dave Clark
Dave Clark is an ornithologist with an MSc in Ornithology from the University of Birmingham and environmental campaigner with a particular interest in the interactions between birds and humans. Dave is keen to spread the word about the importance of urban areas for wildlife and improving our engagement with nature. He can be reached at dave@mailbox.co.uk. Why…