Category Archives: Latest GOB Articles

Now Then This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine October 2018 Watching the Great-crested Grebes dancing across the mirror smooth lake surface was a seminal moment; it didn’t turn me into a birder, but it rather cemented the likelihood of … Continue reading →

Butterflies Flutter By This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine Autumn 2018 As I write this it is high summer and the birds are getting harder to find and all the fledglings defy my jizz radar. In a few weeks … Continue reading →

The Real Countryside This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine September 2018 They dye the water at Augusta Golf Course to make sure the ponds are just the right shade of blue for the TV cameras. They paint the grass … Continue reading →

Too little, too late This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine August 2018 I make no apology for returning to the plastic war as it is simply the most pressing conservation concern everywhere on the planet. A UK-wide bottle and … Continue reading →

Quid Avium Venari This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine July 2018 Why do you go birding? I don’t mean the question you pose yourself when you are freezing your binoculars off at silly o’clock on your day off, while … Continue reading →

Indian Givers This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine June 2018 When you first visit India you either fall in love with, or reel at its shocking contrasts. Madmen driving everything from the latest Lotus to a cart propelled by … Continue reading →

Fickle & Fabulous Photos This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine May 2018 I’ve lately been updating fatbirder.com with fabulous photos of stunning birds taken by a growing number of fantastic photographers. They range from just terrific to truly remarkable. … Continue reading →

Bankers This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine April 2018 They say that the only things certain in life are death and taxes, so why do we birders naively rely on ‘bankers’ when taking part in bird races or building … Continue reading →

Single Use Plastic This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine March 2018 I hope you did not receive this magazine through the post in a plastic wrapper. I hope that the corner shop, local butcher and fishmonger don’t give you … Continue reading →

Birding This article first appeared in Birdwatching Magazine February 2018 Like my childhood self I am in awe of the vast blueness of sky over the summer reed-bed. Is this ineffable depth, breadth and beauty God? Unknowable and visceral, my … Continue reading →