Butcher’s Broom – Ruscus aculeatus
Butcher’s broom is a dark, spiny waist-high evergreen shrub. It is a perennial plant with sharp pointed leaves. The height and prickliness gave rise to…
Tag: woodland
How to See Wildlife in Woodlands
The key to seeing wildlife anywhere isn’t magic, it’s understanding probabilities. There are so many techniques for improving your chances, many of them listed in…
The Sound of Fog Drip
What is fog drip? When we see fog, the air is saturated, there is more water than it can hold. This forms droplets which gather…
Snow Tells Tales About Trails
There are many different kinds of snow, as the Inuit know only too well. You are probably familiar with how easy it is to track…
Can You Spot the Roe Deer?
Can you spot the roe deer in the picture above? The enlarged picture below makes it much easier – it’s the exact same photo, blown…
Parasol Fungi
The parasol fungus (Macrolepiota procera) is a common, large and easy to identify fungus. It is well-known amongst foragers. As the name suggests it has…
How to Navigate Using Anthills
One of keys to reliable natural navigation is avoiding an obsession with tricks. It is nice when there is a fast, simple bullet-proof method for…
The ‘Escape from the Woods Effect’ in Trees
Have a look at the trees at the edge of any woodland and you’ll notice that the branches appear to grow away from the wood…
Fallow Deer Flight and Refuge Behaviour
My latest book, Wild Signs and Star Paths, explains how it is possible to predict an animal’s next move. By following a simple stepping-stone approach,…
Which Way Are We Looking?
Which direction are we looking in the photo above? Clue: how many colours can you see? Answer below. Answer: We are looking north. There is…
How to Find Your Way Using Ivy
A short video explaining how to find north or south and make a map in the woods using ivy (Hedera helix). You might also enjoy:…
The Tick Effect in Trees
The shape of trees and their branches reveal direction. This short video shows one method, but there are over 20 others too. You might also…
The Beechwood Sickener – Russula nobilis
The photo above shows a mushroom known as the Beechwood Sickener – Russula nobilis. As the name would suggest, this is a poisonous fungus. In…
The sound of walking through a wood during a thunderstorm. That’s all.
Walking in a wood during a thunderstorm
Nettle-Leaved Bellflower – Campanula trachelium
The Nettle-leaved bellflower, Campanula trachelium, is found in low-level calcareous woodland, flowering from June to September. It needs some disturbance to the soil to thrive.…
How to Find Your Way with Butterflies
Butterflies can help us find our way, all we have to do is to take an interest in their habitats – and the fussier the…
How to Navigate with Spiders’ Webs
Animals help us navigate in lots of ways. They form both compasses and maps for us. The map is formed in a similar way to…
Yellow Archangel – Lamiastrum galeobdolon
Despite its sunny appearance, Yellow Archangel – Lamiastrum galeobdolon – is a plant that prefers shade, damp and north-facing sites in mixed woodland. Its favourite…
Wildflower Ways
It is an exciting time of year, there is a lot of vernal energy pent up, all coiled and ready to leap over the barrier…
The Snowdrop Theory
The Winter Clues Competition draws to a close tomorrow (still 24 hours to enter). For reasons I will explain in a few weeks, I’m not…
Where the Wildflowers Are
Walking through a narrow, predominantly damp and shady deciduous woodland yesterday afternoon I was suddenly greeted by sunshine on my right cheek and a group…