House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

The house sparrow is an opportunistic bird of towns and cities, parks, gardens and farmland. House sparrows feed on a variety of foods, including buds, grains, nuts and scraps, and will visit birdtables and feeders. They live in colonies and nest in holes or crevices in buildings, among Ivy or other bushes, and in nestboxes; they use a variety of materials to make their nests. Both...

Meditation in Nature

Ever wondered why meditation retreats and monasteries of all spiritual traditions are often found in the mountains or deep in the forest? There are many benefits of meditation in nature—it’s a place where wisdom and perception come alive. Meditating outdoors activates our senses, making our practice more alert and wakeful. At the same time, the usual distractions seem far away and somehow...

Green Woodpecker

Any one who has ever taught a bird watching class or led groups of beginners will be familiar with the rare birds seen by their group. And sooner or later one of them is bound to report ‘ a brilliant yellow bird with a bright red head’. And they are usually convinced it is some sort of tropical bird – it must be really rare. But it is a sighting of this bird, which...

Green moves that endanger Waders

In moves that endanger Waders, a bird that has benefited from climate change will soon be decimated, an expert warns. The Iceland-based black-tailed Godwit – a wading bird that winters in Britain – has enjoyed a 10-fold population increase compared with 120 years ago. But British expert Graham Appleton said Iceland is planting forests to offset carbon emissions, which in turn...