How to… tell a dragonfly from a damselfly

My introduction to Odonata I grew up in a suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe1, in the beautiful high plains of continental Africa. The landscape around Harare was open grassland with ranges of low rocky hills and some enormous granite outcrops. Local rivers were small and seasonal, raging torrents for a brief spell when the rains broke,Continue reading “How to… tell a dragonfly from a damselfly”

The Foreshore

Journey there A bad few days. The novelty of furlough and endless hours to fill has worn off. The exhilaration of recovering from the virus is long gone. Rambling walks in the park are failing to lift my spirits. The park is busier, more people are returning and with them, litter. Bottles in the longContinue reading “The Foreshore”

Dawn Chorus (with audio)

4.30am and the alarm crashes me out of deep sleep with a heart-stopping, adrenaline fuelled lurch. Why have I done this to myself? Just go back to sleep, do it another day. No! I swing my legs out of bed without even opening my eyes, not giving myself the chance to sink back into oblivion.Continue reading “Dawn Chorus (with audio)”

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Aftrekplek

Single track tar road, Zimbabwe 1984 Her hair whipped around her face, strands stiffly matted with sweat and dust. All the windows were open, hot air buffeting around the car interior as it sped along the unfolding ribbon of road. Leaning listlessly against the window edge she watched the landscape move by, red roadside edgesContinue reading “Aftrekplek”