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

Singing nightingale

Where are Britain’s most northerly breeding nightingales? Why are there no old nightingale place-names? To find out, come and hear my talk about my book, #thecuckooslea, @lincswildlife.bsky.social’s Whisby reserve on Saturday 7th Feb. Tickets here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-talk-... #naturewriting

Front row seats for #thecuckooslea people! 😁😉 #naturewriting #litfest #booksky

If you can't make 7 Feb Whisby Nature Park @lincswildlife.bsky.social catch up with @drmjwarren.bsky.social #TheCuckoosLea 7 May in the beautiful #Cotswolds General booking from 1 Feb www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/literature/e...

Not long now till I’m @lincswildlife.bsky.social’s Whisby reserve talking about #thecuckooslea, particularly about my search for the most northerly breeding nightingales in north-west Europe (which took me to Whisby). Come and join me! #naturewriting #authortalk @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social

Well @lemoustier.bsky.social, what beautiful serendipity … guess what I’m reading right now! For my new book, on winter in Britain and Ireland (from the Ice Age to present). So, couldn’t be more delighted you’re enjoying #thecuckooslea ☺️ @jimspim.bsky.social @chiffchat.bsky.social #naturewriting

Hi @lemoustier.bsky.social & @jimspim.bsky.social fab read! Spread the word that @drmjwarren.bsky.social is with us in the #Cotswolds 2pm 7 May with #TheCuckoosLea #booksky General booking from 1 Feb
www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/literature/e...

I spy @adamweymouth.bsky.social among
@ben-spencer.bsky.social @thetimes.com 🧪books of the year below. Hear a Adam speaking after @drmjwarren.bsky.social #TheCuckoosLea #booksky in Cotswolds 7 May. General booking from 1 Feb www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/literature/e...

Country diary: Mammoth and bear, replaced by mattress and beer can | Michael J Warren Grays, Essex: I visit an unassuming gorge where a wealth of ice age fossils was once found, telling us about Britain’s megafauna – and Neanderthals

Into the ice age Lion Pit … lovely writing from @drmjwarren.bsky.social for the Guardian Country Diary (whose book, #TheCuckoosLea is also wonderful!)

A lovely blog. When a reader of #thecuckooslea is inspired to explore their own local place-names … well, there’s nothing better to me. ☺️😄. #naturewriting

If you’re in the Lincoln area, command join me at LWT Whisby nature reserve on 7th Feb to hear about #thecuckooslea and nightingales. Why are there no nightingales in our old place-names? Where is the most northern site for breeding nightingales in the UK today? Come and find out! #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

Oh! Michael, thank you SO much! Means a very great deal, especially from you & your beautiful #TheCuckoosLea!

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

Looking forward to talking @chipcampdenlitfest.bsky.social next May. 😁 #LiteratureFestival #birdsandplace #thecuckooslea

This’ll be a treat with @yolobirder.bsky.social! Always an excellent & entertaining listen, & #TheCuckoosLea is wonderful!

It’s available today, my episode with @yolobirder.bsky.social for his brilliant @goldengrenadesco.bsky.social podcast. Listen on to discover my chosen 5 birds to join me in Armageddon (plus chat on #thecuckooslea)! goldengrenades.com/podcast/ #GoldenGrenades #naturewriting #birdsandplace

Pleased to see #thecuckooslea is on display to the left. And I’ll count as one of your interviewees in a couple of weeks’ time. ☺️

Was awesome! A packed out venue. A top event of 2025 for me. Thanks ever so to @guyshrubsole.bsky.social and @thebookery.bsky.social. I’ll be finding the rooks of Lapford again this dusk at Bury Barton. #thecuckooslea #birdsandplace #authorevents

Thanks @brigitstrawbridge.bsky.social, and anyone in Devon whose interest is piqued by Brigit’s very kind words can hear all about #thecuckooslea when I’m in conversation with @guyshrubsole.bsky.social on Thursday 13th November at @thebookery.bsky.social in Crediton. #naturewriting #birdsandplace

Thanks to all who have bought tickets for this so far. There’s an error on the poster: the event is on THURSDAY 13th, not Wednesday. Just to avoid confusion! @thebookery.bsky.social #naturewriting #birdsandplace #thecuckooslea

Only two weeks till @guyshrubsole.bsky.social and I are in conversation about birds, sense of place and land-belonging @thebookery.bsky.social in Crediton. Lots of Devon in #thecuckooslea, so will all be very locally focused. A not-to-be-missed event for Devon people!

Books at RSPB Titchwell.

The Cuckoo’s Lea, front cover.

Day birding in Storm Amy’s winds @rspbtitchwellsnett.bsky.social. A great selection of books in their shop, including, ahem, yours truly. #thecuckooslea #naturewriting

This evening I’m at Toppings in Ely. Hope to see you there! #thecuckooslea #naturewriting

Michael J Warren at First Floor, Topping & Company Booksellers of Ely

Just a week until I’m at Toppings Books in Ely! Couldn’t be better: Ely cathedral and it’s old marshes is on the front cover of #thecuckooslea! Details and tickets here: www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/w... #birdsandplace #naturewriting

If you’re in the Cambridgeshire area, I’m at Toppings Books in Ely on Fri 19th talking about #thecuckooslea. Come to hear about cuckoos and the old Fens. Couldn’t be a better venue: it’s Ely cathedral on the books’s front cover! www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/w... #naturewriting #birdsandplace

Front Row - Review: Historical TV epic King and Conqueror, and Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper - BBC Sounds Plus film Young Mothers, and the 5-year project celebrating dramatist Brian Friel.

Delighted that #thecuckooslea has recently been named medievalist and author Eleanor Parker’s (@Clerk ofOxford on X) cultural pick on Radio 4’s Front Row program. I’m a big fan of Eleanor’s books, so especially chuffed. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... #naturewriting #medievalhistory #placenames

The visitor centre at RSPB Frampton Marshes.

The sea wall at Frampton Marsh reserve.

I’m at @rspbframptonmarsh.bsky.social on Friday 3rd October, giving a guided walk and book talk all about marshes and their birds. Can’t wait! A favourite reserve, and my very favourite habitat. Tickets and details here: events.rspb.org.uk/events/126099 #thecuckooslea @rspb.bsky.social

Books by authors featuring in 2025 at Cranbrook Literature Festival

The opening of chapter 1 of The Cuckoo’s Lea, about cranes and Cranbrook in Kent.

I’m in Cranbrook (Kent) this October (11th) in conversation with @alexpreston.bsky.social for the Cranbrook Literature Festival, the place where writing #thecuckooslea began and where the book begins! #naturewriting www.ticketsource.co.uk/cranbrook-li...