Continuing the archive: slow essays and observations from marshes, mangroves, and pondsides around the world.
№ 144 A naturalist's read on swan landings - swans can land on land but they prefer water, and the times they land on roads or lawns are often emergencies. What it looks like and what to do if a swan is grounded.
Parakeets can eat boiled eggs - they're a useful protein supplement during breeding and moulting. The honest guide to portion sizes, how often, and what to skip.
№ 143 
№ 142 A naturalist's read on whether you can legally or sensibly eat a swan - the British royal protection rule, the modern UK and US legal status, and what swan actually tastes like historically.
A naturalist's read on whether geese and ducks can produce hybrid offspring - what the rare documented cases show, why it almost never happens in the wild, and what such hybrids look like.
№ 141 
№ 140 A naturalist's read on whether geese and swans can produce hybrid offspring - what the genetic and behavioural barriers are, and the rare documented cases where it has happened in captivity.
Bread is the single worst common food fed to wild geese. A naturalist's read on why it causes angel wing in goslings, fouls park ponds, and what to feed instead.
№ 139 
№ 138 The myth that uncooked rice harms birds is false. Cooked or raw, rice is safe for ducks. A naturalist's read of where the misconception came from.
Most wild duck species fly 40-60 mph for migration. Domestic breeds mostly can't. A naturalist's read on which ducks fly and how well.
№ 137 
№ 136 A naturalist's read on whether eagles can or do kill humans - the documented cases, the species capable of it, and why the chance of being attacked is essentially zero for adults.
Ducks won't use songbird feeders. They need low, open, easy-to-access setups. A naturalist's guide to the four feeder types that actually work for waterfowl.
№ 135 
№ 134 A naturalist's planting guide for a duck-friendly pond - the four plants ducks actually eat, the cover plants that keep ducklings alive, and where to put each one.
Ducklings can swim within hours of hatching, but their feathers are not yet waterproof. A naturalist's read on how long they can safely be on water.
№ 133