Common cuckoo eating a caterpillar

OS map showing area of historic settlement of Yagdon in Shropshire near the village of Leaton.

Well, head my first cuckoo of 2026 last weekend and hoping to see one this weekend … so place-name of the day 148 is lost YAGDON (Shrop). OE geac + dun. ‘Cuckoo hill’. #PlaceNames #naturewriting #birdsandplace

Really looking forward to this talk at the brilliant Chipping Camden Lit Fest. Come join me! Cuckoos, owls and other birds—how do they shape our sense of place and how did they end up in so many of our place-names? #AuthorTalk #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Common crane in grassy field

OS map showing old Crannaford next to very new Cranbrook, in Devon.

Bird place-name of the day 144, cont. crane series: CRANNAFORD (Dev). OE cran + ford. ‘Cranes’ ford’. Cranbrook, the more obvious of the two in the map, is a brand new town! The name was presumably borrowed from Crannaford. (Bonus rook place in there too!) #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Continuing my crane mini series … bird place-name of the day 143: CRANMOOR (Staffs). OE cran + mor. ‘Cranes’ marshy open land’ (sounds like great crane habitat!) #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Can’t wait to do this event on 7th May. Come join me! #AuthorTalk #naturewriting #birdsandplace

Bird place-name of the day 142: CARNFORTH (Lancs). OE cran + ford. ‘Cranes’ ford’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Bird place-name of the day 141: CRANFIELD (Beds). OE cran + feld. ‘Cranes’ open land’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Bird place-name of the day 140:CRANWORTH (Norf). OE cran + worth. ‘Cranes’ enclosure’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

I’ll be talking about these little beauties in connection with Swallowcliffe tomorrow, just 8 miles from Shaftesbury and this weekend’s book festival. #Swallows #birdsandplace #naturewriting @guyshrubsole.bsky.social @nicolawriting.bsky.social

Hey #Naturelovers @drmjwarren.bsky.social in #Cotswolds in May to talk about #PlaceNames #birdsandplace 🐦‍⬛🦉🦅Tickets:
www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/literature/e...

Common crane at dawn

OS map showing Suffolk village of Cransford.

Bird place-name of the day 139: CRANSFORD (Suff). OE cran + ford. ‘Crane’s ford’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Bird place-name of the day 138 in my crane mini series is CORNEY (Cumb), OE cran + ea. ‘Crane island’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Bird place-name of the day 137 in my crane mini series is CRANHAM (Glos), OE cran + ham. ‘Crane homestead/farm’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Dancing cranes

OS map showing district of Cranbrook in Ilford, London.

Thought I’d do a mini series on the crane for a bit, after yesterday’s offering. Bird place-name of the day 136 is CRANBROOK, not the one in Kent where my book #thecuckooslea begins, but in London. Hard to believe now! OE cran + burna. ‘Cranes’ stream’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Common crane

OS map showing Dorset village of Cranborne.

Because I won’t be too far from here next weekend, bird place-name of the day 135 is CRANBORNE (Dor). OE cran + burna. ‘Cranes’ stream’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Perched great Tit

OS map showing Herefordshire village of Titley.

Back to birds. The sound of so many great tits in song this week it sounds like the air itself needs oiling made me think place-name of the day 134 should be TITLEY (Heref.) Possibly OE *titta + leah. ‘Tit wood/clearing’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Page from British Wildlife mag.

Front cover of British Wildlife mag, vol 37.4 (Feb 2026).

If you subscribe to the brilliant @britishwildlife.bsky.social mag, you’ll find an article about birds in place-names in there this month. Right before @amyjanebeer.bsky.social’s always beautiful Wild Story column. #BritishWildlife #PlaceNames #birdsandplace

First of 2026–happy New Year! Saw this tawny owl yesterday so bird place-name of the day 124 is ULLENHALL (Warks). OE ule + halh. ‘Owls’ wooded nook’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Stock dove on branch

OS map showing Cambs village of DUFTON.

Bird place-name of the day 123: DUFTON (Cambs). OE dufe + tun. ‘Dove estate/farm’. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Male brambling in snow.

OS map showing Hants village of Finchdean.

A last one before Xmas. Bird place-name of the day 122: FINCHDEAN (Hants). OE finc + denu. ‘Finch valley’. No way of knowing which finches, but since it’s Xmas I’ll go with bramblings! Happy Xmas all. #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

Male yellowhammer singing.

OS map show Essex minor place-name, Amberden Hall.

Because I saw yellowhammers today close to home, bird place-name of the day 121 is AMBERDEN (Essex). OE amer + denu. ‘Bunting/yellowhammer valley’. #birdsandplace #PlaceNames #naturewriting

Adult WT eagle with fish in talons

OS map showing East Sussex hamlet of Eridge Green.

Bird place-name of the day 120: ERIDGE (Green), E. Ssx. OE earn + hrycg. ‘Eagle ridge’. White-tailed, specifically, which is back in Sussex now (saw them again on my last visit to my childhood home this weekend just gone). #PlaceNames #birdsandplace #naturewriting

This week’s recommended read is from @drmjwarren.bsky.social Beautiful writing and gorgeous cover artwork. #thecuckooslea #birdsandplace

My good friend, fellow nature lover and Essex lad, James Lawrence, aka Man About Country (www.manaboutcountry.co.uk) has made this awesome video of my book #thecuckooslea. Big up #PlaceNames! Big up #birdsandplace! Find James on Instagram and Tiktok as @man_about_country @chiffchat.bsky.social

Since I’m heading to Norfolk tomorrow for a talk with @timholtwilson.bsky.social and @themarshtit.bsky.social at Cley (22 tickets still available), bird place-name of the day 119 is CRANMER (Norf). OE cran + mer. ‘Crane pool/marsh’. #birdsandplace #PlaceNames #naturewriting

A very lovely endorsement for my #BBCCountryfile Plodcast episode. Thanks Lee (your handle seems to invalid …). #birdsandplace #PlaceNames

It’s out there folks … venture out into the wild Essex marshes, with me and #BBCCountryfile Plodcast host, Fergus Collins. www.countryfile.com/podcast #birdsandplace #Essex #thecuckooslea

Make goosander on river

OS map showing Co Dur. hamlet of Scargill.

Bird place-name of the day 118: SCARGILL (Co Dur). ON *skraki + gil. Possibly ‘goosander ravine’. The hamlet is close to a river, so makes sense.; suitable habitat. #birdsandplace #PlaceNames #naturewriting

Next week I'm on the brilliant #BBCCountryfile Plodcast with Fergus Collins (out 2nd Dec). For now, here's a teaser--a soundscape episode recorded there. Big up the Essex marshes! link.chtbl.com/8j_GMQQa @essexbirdnews.bsky.social @esbr-essex.bsky.social #EssexMarshes #birdsandplace

The RSPB has been researching exactly the grim irony I explore in my book: disappearing birds’ popularity in road names. @rspb.bsky.social, in The Cuckoo’s Lea, you’ll discover how old bird names did it properly! #PlaceNames #birdsandplace @deborahmeaden.bsky.social @dramirkhangp.bsky.social