Category Archives: Latest GOB Articles

Swift Justice This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine August 2019 Summer has always started on the same day for me… the day the swifts return. In my birding heydays I’d probably be out birding somewhere and suddenly become aware … Continue reading →

The Truth About Cats & Dogs This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine July 2019 I’m not going to apologise for reopening the debate about cats. As a recent headline put it: ‘Canadian and U.S. studies agree: Cats are the … Continue reading →

Environmental Mindset Madness (This article first appeared in the June 2019 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) In the late 1950s, disillusioned with the classic bicycle design, Alex Moulton set about creating a new one from first principles. In the 1990’s James … Continue reading →

Dumbing Up (This article first appeared in the May 2019 edition of ‘Birdwatching’ magazine) I’m not stupid, no really, I’m not. I start every day with the Times Crossword (although I admit there are days when I have finished the … Continue reading →

It’s Happening Here! This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine, March 2019 edition What do the Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis), the Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) and Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) have in common? Both snakes are wonderful in their … Continue reading →

Green Alliances This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine, March 2019 edition Has it ever struck you just how scattered and fragmented our conservation areas and wildlife protection movement is – a bunch of green cliques rarely coming together; our … Continue reading →

Bring Back Real National Service This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine February 2019 I can still remember worrying, as an eleven-year-old about the prospect of being conscripted. In peacetime it seemed to me a dangerous anachronism as young amateur … Continue reading →

Diversity This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine January 2019 I have lately been revising all the US State pages of my fatbirder.com website. This means checking out every link there including all those Audubon societies, some states having a … Continue reading →

American Access This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine December 2018 Despite being exhausted the day after the last British Bird Fair, I still had to wake at sparrow-fart because I’d promised to take a visiting American friend birding. After … Continue reading →

Have I got it wrong? This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine November 2018 I last ate meat in 1983. My loosely defined form of vegetarianism was mostly a political decision… if less people ate meat more of the world’s … Continue reading →