Tag: Tim Melling

I think that Bluethroat is Europe’s most beautiful songbird. The throat looks  colourful enough to be a Christmas tree decoration and the copper triangles on its tail sides are exquisite.  Its scientific name Luscinia svecica translates as Swedish Nightingale and it was in northern Sweden where I photographed this stunning male.  There are two main…

This is a Hawk Owl landing in a tree top in Sweden that I took in May this year.  They occur at low density in the boreal forest zone right across Europe, Siberia and North America.  I think that they are the only owl that is most active during the daytime.  Other daytime owls are…

  Tim writes: The Yellow-browed Warbler is an enigma.  It breeds in Siberia east of the Urals and winters in Malaysia and Thailand.  Yet it occurs with great regularity in Britain, usually in autumn.  To arrive in Britain would involve a journey of at least 4000 km, but flying in totally the wrong direction to…

Tim writes: Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) were named in honour of the bird engraver Thomas Bewick, though we don’t even know if he ever clapped eyes on one.  In Bewick’s day (1753-1828) the two yellow billed swans were classed as one single species; the Wild Swan, as distinct from the Tame Swan (or Mute…

  Tim writes: I was driving in South Yorkshire back in February when I spotted this female Sparrowhawk dispatching a Woodpigeon. I pulled in the car just beyond and leaned out of the window to photograph the encounter. Believe it or not a Woodpigeon weighs about 450g whereas a female Sparrowhawk weighs just 260g (and…