Author Archives: sarahthurlbeck

On my first morning visiting Seattle in the Northwest Pacific area of USA I went a walk with my big lens around the city’s Green Lake Park. I would say it is the same size of park as Strathclyde Country Park back home. I was very curious to see which birds and wildlife would beContinue reading “A Walk in the Park – Seattle”

We’ve not had much snow this winter so when I saw a covering outside this morning I ventured out to try and capture some wildlife in the snow. First I took photos of some birds in and around the garden. One of my favourite birds is the blackbird, waiting for spring before it begins toContinue reading “Snow Day”

Early in the New Year I saw striking images of mandarin ducks posted on wildlife photography sites. Photographers had been going to the River Leven beside Balloch to see this relatively rare duck. So today I went in hunt of them too. At first I walked alongside the river South of Balloch but only sawContinue reading “Exotic Mandarins”

I was up at the crack of dawn this morning to go down to the river to try and see a kingfisher. At just past 8am the sun was not quite over the horizon and the light was poor along the riverbank. Nevertheless I followed a flash of electric blue as it zipped along justContinue reading “Bedazzled !”

Whooper swans visit each winter from Iceland. They are larger than mute swans and have bright yellow beaks with black tips. Mute swans are not so appropriately named, after all they do honk and hiss. However whooper swans DO live up to their names and very loudly at that! Here are a couple of whooperContinue reading “Whoopers and Whistlers”

We’d hardly stepped out of our back gate when we saw these three roe deer wandering down the lane towards possible oncoming traffic. So we retreated back to our garden and hoped they would come back up the lane and into safer heath and woodland. Thankfully they did just that. We’re so lucky to haveContinue reading “Winter Locals”

I walked down the main path in Mugdock Wood yesterday which was busy and noisy with people and dogs. I could hear jays squawking and a woodpecker chooking but thought they would not be coming anywhere near this main path. So I walked off some rough, less trodden paths to the sides. At first IContinue reading “Bonny Bramblings”

One bird we were not expecting to see on Madeira was the Osprey. It is a rare visitor to the island. So when my husband tried to point one out to me I thought he must be mistaken. But no, one was fishing in the river running into the sea in the town of Machico.Continue reading “Surprise Sighting!”

We were very fortunate to have a week’s winter sun in Madeira at the end of November and one day I joined a “Madeira Wind Birds” tour run by naturalists Hugo Romano & Catarina Correia-Fagundes. The aim of the tour was primarily to try and spot birds endemic to Madeira, that is, birds unique toContinue reading “Birdwatching in Madeira”

Aberlady Bay nature reserve in East Lothian is one of my favourite places to go either early in the morning or at dusk. In autumn there is the spectacle and incredible sound of thousands of geese taking off at dawn or coming in to land at dusk. However there are other great sights all yearContinue reading “Aberlady Bay Highlights”