Ian Bond

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”

To see a thousand things – a Northumbrian nature quest

This is an account of my quest to see 1,000 different species, in Northumbria, in 2021. Why? Well as an ecologist it might reasonably be assumed that I am quite good at identifying wildlife but while I may know “stuff” about wildlife, I’m not that great at “spot the difference” and with wildlife, spotting theContinue reading “To see a thousand things – a Northumbrian nature quest”

Tales of a timid traveller – (Part 3) Eden

I don’t know if elephant droppings are atheism’s ultimate proof but you have to admit, if God created the Garden of Eden he hadn’t thought elephants through properly. This particular Eden was the shore of Lake Nzelakela in the Selous, Tanzania. In early November the short rains had jump-started the trees and splashed the hippo-greyContinue reading “Tales of a timid traveller – (Part 3) Eden”