No long article this week... just a simple prompt and some links to learn more.
Your prompt is:
Look out for feathers!
And a bonus prompt: See if you can identify the feathers you find!
You may have noticed the birds have gone a bit quiet recently (at least if you live in the UK, like me). And where are they?! Of course, many migratory birds have left for the colder months, but what about the others, who stay here year round? Well, they’re going through their annual moult.
This means that now is a great time to look for feathers! Many birds where I live seem to have been going through this process for many weeks now (I did intend to send this email earlier but then I saw the beavers and the eclipse!) and I’ve found several feathers while out walking Noush.
Want to learn more about why and how birds moult? Read this post from Sussex Wildlife Trust.
Want to identify the feathers you’ve found? Here’s a guide to some common feathers from the Woodland Trust and here’s an amazing (but not very beginner-friendly) database of feathers called Featherbase. Try searching for the bird you think your feather comes from and then compare it to those in the photos.
Please report back with your findings in the comments!
Join me and my fellow Wild South London Community trustees for a walk around Mayow Park, followed by some nature journaling and zine-making at a nearby school!
Nature Journaling Walk and Workshop (as part of Sydenham Artists Trail): Saturday September 19th, 11am - 2:30pm - book free tickets here
Who invited the drunk wasp to the BBQ?
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August 22, 2025
A couple of weeks ago, we invited a friend over for lunch in the garden. What we hadn’t accounted for were the many uninvited guests, in the form of bloody loads of wasps. I had a vague recollection of reading something about wasps being more active (and more annoying) in late summer…
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