Tues 6th November 2007. Seventeen hours after setting off from Darlington and 40 years after wanting to be “Daktari”, I was finally in Africa. On the journey I’d managed to doze for an hour and learn three words of Swahili. My son, Michael, had slept a little better but learnt less Swahili. We landed inContinue reading “Tales of a timid traveller – (Part 1. ) Into Africa”
Author Archives: Ian Bond
To see a thousand things – February
Phenologists (that is people who study the seasonality of nature and not to be confused with people who feel the bumps on your head) reckon that nature’s calendar is gradually creeping forward. Well it took a big leap this month, as February stole March’s clothes as a month of two halves. The first half was eitherContinue reading “To see a thousand things – February”
A thin place
Maybe its just the ozone blowing off the waves but there is something intangible, almost ethereal, when you stand on certain parts of the north east coast; something that reaches inside of you and makes you contemplative and elated almost at the same time. Some would go even further; I once heard Lindisfarne, with itsContinue reading “A thin place”
Muntjac deer- divven’t come here
Muntjac deer – divvent come here Wor woods are auld an’ frail We fear you’ll eat wor bluebells An’ dry oot the Scarborough Snail Muntjac deer – divvent come here There’s ne room in wor ark To add to wor biodiversity A Chinese deer wot barks Muntjac deer – divvent come here Yee knaa you’llContinue reading “Muntjac deer- divven’t come here”
To see a thousand things – January
That Julius Caesar has a lot to answer for! What was he thinking of, making January the start of the year instead of March? Had he not heard the saying that, “The blackest month of all the year is the month of Janiveer” (alright, I pinched that one from the “Country Diary of an EdwardianContinue reading “To see a thousand things – January”
Out for a duck!
You get those moments, those brief seconds of bafflement when your brain scrambles frantically to decipher input that makes no sense at all. As I scanned the Teesmouth foreshore the white shape in front of me didn’t resemble anything I knew, didn’t move like anything ought to move and yet moved frantically while at theContinue reading “Out for a duck!”
The Path of the Panther – the path continues (a bit)
Back in 2010 I wrote a short book entitled, “The Path of the Panther” which was a compilation of all the editions of the “Big Cat Diaries” column that I had written for Northumbria Mammal Group’s newsletter up to that point (you can download the book on the homepage of this site). Forward to 2020Continue reading “The Path of the Panther – the path continues (a bit)”
The Path of the Puma
If my Facebook page is anything to go by, there seems to be a clutter of alleged big cat sightings across the country at the moment. Although most of the accompanying pictures show moggies I’m convinced that there is, or at least has been, the odd big cat out there, so I thought I wouldContinue reading “The Path of the Puma”
Bridge over turbid water
A few years ago I watched an interview with Sting, where he talked about growing up on Tyneside, with the River Tyne and the ship yards right at the end of his street. This was the inspiration for his debut musical, “The Last Ship”. We had a river at the end of our street to. Continue reading “Bridge over turbid water”
To see a thousand things – New Year’s Day
Usually the first day of the year involves a visit to RSPB Saltholme, a place where my listing of things appears perfectly normal. The café is a twitcher’s waterhole with bird spotters of all descriptions jostling for a seat so that they can re-fuel with tea and Victoria sponge before heading back to the chase. Continue reading “To see a thousand things – New Year’s Day”
Raven on the Wing 