Environment & conservation

Sandwich terns and the miracle of migration

Posted on by Platypus Man

During a recent trip to the island of Anglesey in North Wales we were pleased to encounter a breeding colony of Sandwich terns at the Cemlyn Nature Reserve. Adult birds were rearing their chicks on little islands in a lagoon behind the beach, occasionally breaking off from parental duties to go fishing. It was such a pleasure to witness – cute little chicks exploring the islands of their birth while their parents looked on caringly or whizzed around in the skies above us, their beaks loaded down with lunch as they returned from fishing expeditions. And all around us, a cacophony of sound as the birds called out noisily to one another.

A Sandwich tern carries home a spot of lunch for its chick

Despite the blustery wind, our morning spent at Cemlyn Bay was idyllic, just the sort of thing that brings joy to a birdwatcher’s heart. But such joys are transitory. In only a few weeks from now the birds we so admired will be at the other end of the world. We’ve all heard of migration, the process by which countless species of bird move from one geographical location to another in search of food or a suitable place to raise their young, but I think we underestimate the enormity of the undertaking.

Soon the Sandwich terns of Cemlyn Bay will be heading off to the coast of west Africa. The most intrepid amongst them will make it all the way to South Africa, a journey of around 10,000km (a little over 6,000 miles). And a few months later they’ll head back again, doing the journey in reverse!

Sandwich terns nesting on an island in the lagoon behind the beach at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey

So, in just a few short months these guys will fly around 20,000km, and in between those epic journeys they’ll spend a lot of time cruising over coastal waters on fishing expeditions. Their average lifespan of 12 years means that Sandwich terns can clock up over 250,000km (150,000 miles) in the course of their lives. What an extraordinary achievement for a creature weighing in at around 250 grams (9 ounces), and with a wingspan of roughly 100cm (39 inches).

Remember, also, that the UK plays host to four other species of tern during the summer months. One of these, the Arctic tern, breeds close to the Arctic circle, but spends northern hemisphere winters on the edge of Antarctica. Depending on the exact starting and finishing points, and the circuitous route taken in between, it is reckoned that one of these birds may fly between 71,000km and 95,000km (44,000 to 59,000 miles) over a period of 12 months. And Arctic terns are famously long-lived, with a lifespan of up to 30 years. During the course of their lifetime the oldest birds may therefore fly a distance equivalent to taking three round-trips to the moon. Eat your hearts out, NASA and SpaceX!

Left: Sandwich tern Right: Arctic tern, the world’s champion migrator in terms of distance covered (to the moon and back, 3 times!)

I find the numbers quoted above almost impossible to comprehend. Small birds, huge distances! The annual travels of Sandwich terns, Arctic terns and all their cousins leave me in no doubt that bird migration is a miracle worthy of our absolute respect. Way to go, guys.

If the Earth were to have a set of instructions…the wisdom of the Dalai Lama

Posted on by Platypus Man

The Global Birdfair is an event we attend every year, a great opportunity to hear eminent ornithologists and other conservation experts speaking on subjects that are dear to their hearts, and to ours too. One of the stand-out events at the 2026 Birdfair was a presentation by the British zoologist and author Mark Carwardine, which included an anecdote about a meeting in 1989 with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

IMAGE CREDIT: Christopher Michel, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At the time of their meeting, Carwardine was working with novelist Douglas Adams (creator of the wonderful Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) on the BBC’s project Last Chance to See, in which the two presenters journeyed across the globe in search of some of the world’s most endangered species.

As part of the project Carwardine and Adams interviewed the Dalai Lama, hoping to gain a Buddhist perspective on nature, the environment, and humanity’s relationship with animals. Carwardine has previously spoken warmly of the Dalai Lama, describing him as one of the most intriguing and enchanting people he has ever met. It was clear from his Birdfair presentation that this encounter, which took place relatively early in his career, had a profound influence on him and helped shape how he communicates the urgent need to protect wildlife.

For the benefit of his Birdfair audience, Carwardine displayed on the screen his own brief summary of what the Dalai Lama said to him that day. It read as follows:

“If the Earth were to have a set of instructions, they’d be very simple. Much simpler than the instructions for recording a tv programme on a digital recorder, for example. Don’t poison the water – don’t chop down too many trees – don’t let the planet get too overcrowded – don’t touch the thermostat – and don’t kill all the wildlife. It really is a simple as that.”

Now that’s what I call wisdom. I have absolutely nothing to add.

Bad timing!

Posted on by Platypus Man

Don’t you just hate it when you make a bold public statement, only to be proved totally wrong just seconds later! We witnessed a perfect example during our visit to Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve in Norfolk a couple of weeks ago, when an enormous rat put in an unscripted – and thoroughly unwelcome – appearance, much to the dismay of one of the Reserve’s volunteer staff.

The Reserve is run by the Hawk and Owl Trust, and boasts a range of habitats including wetlands and woodlands. One of our favourite spots for birdwatching there is the Tower Hide. Sitting atop posts several metres tall, the wooden structure overlooks wetland to the east while offering great views into the tree canopy on the west. A bird table attached to the western side of the hide, directly in front of the viewing windows, is loaded with tasty and nutritious seeds. It enables visitors to admire at close quarters the birds that land there to feed. Unless, of course, the rats get there first!

Brown Rats are not native to the UK, but arrived here in the early-to-mid 18th century. Originating from Central Asia and Russia, they came as stowaways on ships, with some theories linking their arrival to timber trade ships from the Baltic – hence their Latin name rattus norvegicus. Once on British soil this resourceful rodent thrived, and became a menace to various species of birds by predating their eggs and chicks as well as spreading diseases like Salmonella. Needless to say, birdwatchers and Brown Rats are not the best of friends.

We visit Sculthorpe Moor most years, and have always been saddened to see Brown Rats partying on the bird table attached to the western edge of the Tower Hide. Their presence makes it difficult and possibly very dangerous for our avian friends to feed there, with the result that most birds approach with extreme caution, if at all. Whether you’re a bird or a birdwatcher you just don’t need it. So imagine our delight when we noticed, during our most recent visit, that rats were conspicuous by their absence.

The only other person in the Tower Hide at the time, a volunteer who works at the Reserve, explained that special measures had recently been taken to prevent rats accessing the table from both the surrounding trees and from the hide’s external walkways. These appeared to have been successful, she said, and the bird table had been declared a rat-free zone. It was, we all thought, a cause for celebration. And then, literally seconds after she had finished speaking, a rat clambered onto the bird table and, looking very pleased with itself, began to feast on bird food.

The poor volunteer was embarrassed and horrified in equal measure. She dashed out of the hide to chase away the wretched rodent, and then went off to inform her colleagues on the Reserve’s team that their efforts had been in vain. We, meanwhile, shook our heads in disbelief, both at the rat’s audacity and at the bad timing of the volunteer’s comments to us. You couldn’t make it up!

Following the departures of rat and volunteer a few birds began to return to the table, and we settled down to watch their feeding behaviour. But not for long, as just a few minutes later the rat re-appeared. And this time he brought a friend.

With all hope gone of seeing birds on the table any time soon we exited the hide and set off to explore other parts of the Reserve. About 40 minutes later we encountered the volunteer again and felt obliged to update her with the news that not one but two rats had found their way onto the bird table at the Tower Hide. She looked crestfallen, seemingly lost for words, so we simply wished her well and went on our way, leaving her to reflect no doubt on the masterful adaptability of Brown Rats and the embarrassment that may result from bad timing!

Spring’s awakening

Posted on by Platypus Man

With Easter just a couple of days away and the weather finally showing signs of improvement we decided to treat ourselves with a visit to a local nature reserve. To the uninitiated Straw’s Bridge Nature Reserve doesn’t sound very inviting: it was once home to coal mining and a sewage works, but in recent decades the local council has done a good job of restoring it as a wildlife habitat and local amenity. The locals call it Swan Lake, which gives a clue to just some of the treats we were anticipating. And we were not disappointed.

Swans, ducks and geese were much in evidence, all plainly gearing themselves up for the breeding season. And, much to our surprise, the sight of four fluffy ducklings suggested that one pair of mallards had got down to business some weeks earlier and now found their time consumed with parental duties.

Strolling around the lakes it soon became apparent that plenty of other people had the same idea as us, and were making the most of spring’s awakening. Dogs were out walking their owners, joggers worked up a sweat in painful pursuit of fitness, and cyclists hurtled along the paths, ringing their bells furiously at any pedestrian foolish enough to get in their way. We let them all get on with it, and did our best to enjoy the show Mother Nature was putting on for us.

We took particular pleasure in the flowers. The recent winter drained our world of colour, and we were pleased to see it bouncing back in the form of celandines and field maple. We even spotted a lone bluebell, a tantalising hint of the carpets of colour that will soon be clothing local woodlands.

But the most eye-catching blossom of all belonged to the blackthorn bushes. When the flowers have gone blackthorn is unremarkable, but for a few short weeks this shrub makes a startling impact in a landscape that is otherwise mostly quite ordinary. Straw’s Bridge has some fine blackthorn, and we were privileged to see it at its best. White may not be the most joyous of colours, but large splashes against an uninspiring backdrop definitely capture the attention.

Spring is the best time of the year to appreciate bulrushes, the time when the distinctive seed pods (resembling fat brown cigars!) split asunder to release their fluffy seeds. During our walk we were pleased to come across several beds of bulrushes where that process was underway, a sight that was all the more pleasing in the bright sunshine.

We were especially pleased to have a distant view of a heron striding purposefully in front of a towering bed of bulrushes, where it presumably hoped to track down a snack or two.

Meanwhile, a lone robin kept us under surveillance from a nearby bush …

… and waterfowl paddled effortlessly across the lakes:

We spent around two hours at Swan Lake that morning. We saw nothing spectacular, nothing unusual for this location at this time of year, but the experience was delightfully calming and uplifting. It was great to get away from the laptop for a while, to escape from the relentlessly bad news that overwhelms the airwaves these days, and instead to be out in Nature alongside the birds and the blossom and the bulrushes. Who doesn’t love spring’s awakening?

Celebrating World Wetlands Day with the heron family

Posted on by Platypus Man

Last Monday, 2 February, was World Wetlands Day. A wetland is a transitional area between land and water, an area where water covers the soil – or is present at or near the surface – either permanently or seasonally. Mrs P and I love a good wetland: it’s a distinct ecosystem that is a great place for a spot of birdwatching, and is notable as the favoured habitat of the handsome heron family

Grey Herons were my Mum’s favourite bird. This one has just caught itself a tasty snack.

When my father died over 30 years ago we bought my mother a set of binoculars and started taking her out on our birdwatching expeditions. She soon declared the heron to be her favourite bird, attracted I suspect by its large size and a distinctive appearance that includes a dagger-like bill, long spindly legs and an improbably bendy neck. I imagine she was also intrigued by the birds’ hunting style, in which they stand motionless for lengthy periods before stabbing explosively at any prey item foolish enough to venture too close to them. Spotting a heron quickly became Mum’s ambition whenever we took her out, and because we chose our birdwatching sites carefully she was rarely disappointed.

The Grey Heron is the UK’s most common species of heron. As these images show, Mrs P’s been photographing them for many years.

The species that Mum got to know and love is the Grey Heron, by a long way the most common member of the heron family in the UK, with over 60,000 birds overwintering here. Standing nearly 1m high and with a wingspan approaching 2m, it is an impressive bird. It feeds primarily on fish, but also eats amphibians, ducklings and other small birds, and tiny mammals such as voles. Interestingly, Grey Herons sometimes temporarily leave their wetland habitats in favour of nearby agricultural fields which they scour for rodents in the immediate aftermath of the harvest.

Little Egret.

The UK boasts several other members of the heron family, although none is very common. The Bittern is vanishingly rare; Mrs P and I have rarely seen one, and have never got a decent photograph. Little Egrets were once common here, but were wiped out over 100 years ago thanks to the insatiable demand of the fashion industry for the birds’ elegant feathers. I wrote about the decline and fall of the Little Egret, and the important consequences this had on bird conservation in the UK, in a post I wrote in 2024.

Great White Egret.

Little Egrets began recolonising the UK in the late 20th century, and these days we see them quite often. Sadly their return came too late for my Mum, as did the more recent arrival of the Great White Egret. She would have been thrilled, I’m sure, to see both egret species, though I suspect neither would have supplanted the Grey Heron in her affections.

Clockwise from Top Left: Green Heron (seen on Tobago in 2006); Great Blue Heron (Canada, 2014); Little Blue Heron (Costa Rica, 2008); White-Faced Heron (Tasmania, 2016); Galapagos Heron (Galapagos Islands, 1989); Bare-Throated Tiger Heron (Costa Rica, 2008); Great Blue Heron (Canada, 2015).

Across the whole world there are reckoned to be 75 separate species within the heron family, although some go under the names of egret or bittern. Herons’ solitary nature and their motionless hunting style have captured the imagination of cultures everywhere, often making them figures of mystery and deep spiritual significance as well as symbols of patience and wisdom. Every continent except Antarctica boasts resident species of heron, and as Mrs P’s photos show we’ve been privileged to see a number of these during our travels.

Clockwise from Top Left: Bare-Throated Tiger Heron (Costa Rica, 2008); Green Heron (Costa Rica, 2008); Bare-Throated Tiger Heron (Costa Rica, 2008); Indian Pond Heron (India, 2013); Little Blue Heron (USA, 2012); Great Blue Heron (Canada, 2012).

Almost all species of heron are closely associated with water, living and feeding as they mostly do on the margins of lakes, rivers, and swamps. They need wetlands, as do so many other species of birds, mammal and invertebrate, and it has been a pleasure to celebrate World Wetlands Day by featuring these magnificent birds here. My Mum, a heron lover until the very end, would definitely have approved!

Boat-billed Heron, Costa Rica 2008

Spending time with the Gruffalo and his pals

Posted on by Platypus Man

A few days ago we took an evening trip to Twycross Zoo to spend a bit of time with the Gruffalo and his pals. The Zoo is highly regarded for its work on the protection and breeding of endangered species, particularly primates, but the Gruffalo is a recent addition to their collection! He will be staying at Twycross for just a few weeks, and so was attracting a lot of interest.

The Gruffalo eyes up the mouse, probably thinking “mmm, looks tasty!”

If you’re not familiar with it, The Gruffalo is a world famous children’s picture book written by English author Julia Donaldson and illustrated by German artist Axel Scheffler. First published in 1999, the book has been translated into over 100 languages and has sold over 13.5 million copies worldwide. The story was later made into a 30-minute animated film and has been adapted into several stage productions. A follow-up book, The Gruffalo’s Child, was published in 2004 and has also proved to be hugely popular. This much-admired youngster also made a guest appearance at Twycross, alongside his even more famous father.

The mouse fights for his life by telling the owl about his fierce protector, the Gruffalo.

The plot of The Gruffalo is simple: a mouse takes a walk through the woods in search of food, where he meets three animals – an owl, a fox and a snake – each of whom would like to eat him for dinner. In order to escape the mouse invents a scary story, telling each predator that he is on his way to meet the fierce and fearsome Gruffalo, who will be very very displeased if anything bad happens to him. And so the mouse is released unharmed, but is then shocked to meet a real, live Gruffalo who also fancies snacking on mouse.

Left: The Gruffalo’s child encounters the fox. Top Right: The Gruffalo and his child in earnest conversation. Bottom Right: The Gruffalo snuggles up to his child – maybe he’s not so fierce after all?

Can the little mouse survive the terrible tusks, claws, teeth, and jaws of the horrid Gruffalo? To find out what happens next, you’ll just have to track down a copy of the book! Maybe your local library will have one?

North American Wilds zone: salmon leap, while a beaver watches

It’s no surprise that the Gruffalo has become an iconic character in children’s literature, and so it is also no surprise that Twycross Zoo chose him to lead their special Lanterns of the Wild Christmas event. The mile (1.6km) long trail was lit by more than 2,000 vibrantly coloured lanterns, all carefully designed and deployed to dazzle the eyes and stimulate the imagination. But it wasn’t all about the Gruffalo. The trail also featured lantern dioramas of 10 environmental eco-zones, including lush rainforests, icy tundra and deep oceans.

North American Wilds zone: the carved presidents of Mount Rushmore watch over wildlife typical of the American Plains, including bison and elk, while a wolf howls from the mountain top.

Each eco-zone starred some of the wonderful wildlife found in that part of the world, making a clear link with the zoo’s primary mission. As well as being bright and cheerful, some of the dioramas were highly imaginative, such as the beaver dam in the North American Wilds zone, a dam over which salmon were attempting to leap while baffled beavers looked on. A second diorama of the North American Wilds featured the iconic carved heads of former US presidents at Mount Rushmore, complete with local wildlife including elk, bison and a wolf.

Tigers are the stars of the Asian Jungle zone

A third diorama that particularly caught my eye was the Asian Jungle eco-zone, in which majestic tigers were the stars of the show. Many years ago Mrs P and I were fortunate to visit India to watch wild tigers, and when I saw the lanterns at Twycross the memories came flooding back.

The Polar Realms zone

We were not alone as we walked the lantern trail. Visitors were there in huge numbers, all them seeking a bit of colourful pre-Christmas entertainment. Hopefully the event raised lots of additional, much needed income for Twycross, and maybe also raised its profile amongst people who previously knew little about the Zoo’s efforts to support wildlife conservation across the globe.

The lanterns featured colourful flowers as well as impressive wildlife.

Bodies like Twycross Zoo play a vital role in species conservation, and in educating the public on conservation issues. Well done to the management for coming up with this seasonal initiative to help get their message across; if the numbers and reaction of people on the night is any guide, Lanterns of the Wild was a big success. The word on the streets is that there will be another lantern trail next Christmas, although probably without the Gruffalo. If there is, Mrs P and I will be keen to support it, Gruffalo or no Gruffalo.

Who’s a big boy then? – Rocco the rhino spotted at last!

Posted on by Platypus Man

I don’t normally post to my blog on Mondays, but as today (22 September) is World Rhino Day I thought I’d bring forward my deadline to share an update on Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s “teenage” superstar…

When a baby Eastern Black Rhinoceros was born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in January 2024, the management knew they were onto a winner. Great news for species conservation, obviously, but great news too for visitor numbers. I mean, who doesn’t love a baby rhino? The marketing department went into overdrive, and Rocco the Rhino – named after a public vote – quickly became the Park’s pin-up superstar. The only problem was that, for us at least, Rocco proved to be disappointingly elusive.

Now nearly 20 months old, Rocco clearly enjoys his food!

Mrs P and I visited the Park several times during the 18 months after the birth, and top of our wish list was always a sighting of Rocco, who was – to judge from the publicity photos – the epitome of armoured cuteness. But we were always disappointed. Instead of roaming their enormous paddock. Rocco and his mum and dad were holed up in their indoor quarters and therefore visible to visitors only via a grainy CCTV system. When we asked about the best time to see him, we were told that the doors to the rhinos’ outside world opened at 11:30am, but it was up to Rocco and his parents to decide whether or not they wanted to come out.

The marketing department went into overdrive, and Rocco the Rhino – named after a public vote – quickly became the Park’s pin-up superstar

We were also advised that sometimes the doors would remain closed beyond the 11:30am deadline to give Rocco’s mum Najuma a much needed rest. Rocco, we were told, was an energetic and demanding calf who was causing his poor mother a good deal of stress, and the keepers felt it was important to consider her welfare as well as the needs of the infant rhino. Fair enough, I suppose, but it was unfortunate that Rocco was never out and about when we were visiting the Park.

This video, made by staff at Yorkshire Wildlife Park at the end of March 2024, provides the view of Rocco that we sadly never got to enjoy!

But at last, just a couple of weeks ago, we finally caught up with Rocco in person. At last! The only downside of this encounter was that Rocco is no longer the cute little calf we had been longing to see. He’s now around 20 months old, and his build and bulk more closely resemble that of his poor old mum. To put it into human terms, I suppose he’s now a sturdy teenager. Impressive? Yes, definitely. Cute? No, sadly those days are gone for good.

Rocco trailing close behind his long-suffering mum Najuma

Putting aside our disappointment at missing out on his cute phase, Rocco’s birth gives cause for celebration. Najuma and Rocco’s dad Makibo came to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in 2018 as part of an international breeding programme to save the species, which is classed as critically endangered. Here’s what the Park’s website has to say about its plight:

Eastern Black Rhinos are the rarest of the 3-remaining subspecies. Between 1970 and 1992, their population declined by 96% to 2300 from a devastating period of poaching for their horns…Thanks to global conservation efforts, Black Rhino numbers have steadily risen to around 6000 individuals. The European Breeding Programme currently holds around 100 individuals in various wildlife parks and zoos.

Source: Yorkshire Wildlife Park website, retrieved on 8 September 2025

Rocco follows Najuma everywhere!

It’s good to know that ethically responsible organisations like Yorkshire Wildlife Park are doing their bit to support the conservation of this wonderful species. Finally catching up with Rocco, after so many missed opportunities, was a big thrill. Hopefully before too long he’ll have a brother or sister, and if he does we will visit the Park regularly in the hope of spotting the new arrival before it grows too big to be cute!

No longer a calf, Rocco’s growing up fast!

Of course, there are many other species – including several conservation priorities – living at the Park. The following photos offer a glimpse of some that we encountered on our recent visit. Maybe I’ll write at length about these species in future posts to this blog?

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