Wildlife
Wonky the Wagtail
This is a story of courage, fortitude and above all else a never say die attitude to life.
Grumpy Bob
When the first lockdown came just over a year ago, the naturalist Chris Packham set up a Facebook group called… The Self-Isolating Bird Club.
Sing Blackbird Sing
There are many exotic songs in the bird world. For many, the Nightingale is the pinnacle. But for many others, the chance of hearing a Nightingale sing is slim. To be honest, we think the best song of all is the Blackbird. Early morning – late at night, they bring joy to your heart and…
Wotton Church (and John Evelyn)
Wotton Church We are very fortunate here at Mindfully Bertie to have a growing band of loyal friends who support our endeavours to entertain you each week. Some of those friends offer ideas of their own. Two weeks ago, Bernard and Aldith reminded Bobby of the “secret snowdrops” at Abinger Hall. In doing so, we…
It’s a Beautiful World – The Bluebird
The Happiness I’ve Discovered in my Own Backyard Dear Friends of Mindfully Bertie. Once again we are indebted to our English Rose Janis, who keeps her eyes open for words of wisdom from across the pond. From her home in Arizona, she found this article in the New York Times inspirational. So do we. The…
The Rolls-Royce Wildlife Garden
Bringing Nature to Life at the Home of Rolls-Royce A Children’s Competition We are privileged through Andrew (Bobby’s son) to have an insight into what happens at Rolls-Royce Motor cars beyond building ‘The Best Car in the World’. And now, we are excited about his latest project. Bringing Nature to Life at the Home of…
Siskin
Bobby’s interest in birds started in Ridge Road Library, North Cheam. One miserable winter, he caught flu quite badly and was off school for a while. Once he started to recover, he revelled in this little, long since gone library. One day he borrowed ‘The Birds of London’. He was amazed by the revelations in…
Dream Island 2020
Richard and Giselle, our friends and wardens of Dream (Skokholm) Island, arrived for the 2020 season on 16 March. They finally left on 7 December. Each day there, Richard wrote an inspiring blog. Not just about the birds and the sea creatures, but also the scenery, the weather and life on an island in an…
Mindfully Arundel
Bertie: “Bobby… Why are you cleaning the bathroom at three in the morning?” Bobby: “And the downstairs loo!” Bertie: “Why?” Bobby: “Can’t sleep…” Bertie: “You told me you had had a wonderfully relaxing afternoon at Arundel. So why were you going through those boxes of memorabilia at midnight?”
When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.
They left Huntingdon Beach (Surf City USA) on a glorious morning to drive south down the Pacific Coast Highway. It was the last day of a week exploring the California Coast in the middle of a three week holiday with friends Dave and Mar. Old schoolfriends of Diddley’s, who had settled in California years before….