Welcome to Wingsearch
This is me, Barry Madden, Norfolk born and bred. “I glory in being so” as my hero Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson quipped. He was a Norfolk man too and a bit of a voyager.
Now cruising gracefully through my 7th decade of existence, (hard to believe isn’t it), I find I’m just as addicted to nature as I was when I was 7. Birds are my first love, but I delight in all manner of wild creatures and wild spaces. Butterflies and moths being other particular favourites, with dragonflies and bees following close behind.
Apart from actually observing wildlife, I also like to photograph it – all the wildlife images on this website are my own unless otherwise stated. Writing wildlife themed articles for various magazines also keeps me busy. A good pint of real ale is often appreciated.
Let me introduce you to my project……..
When I was a budding young naturalist, wildlife was everywhere. Birds, butterflies, moths were abundant and familiar sights in local gardens, fields and woods. I look now and see that’s no longer the case; we have lost so much. The issues affecting our wildlife and wild spaces; pollution, habitat destruction, illegal persecution, drainage of wetlands and climate change are all too familiar. I sometimes feel it is too easy to despair, however we must not give up hope. We can turn things around and make positive change. The key is education; instilling in new generations the importance of preserving and enhancing the natural world in which we live. After all, none of us are separated from nature, or it from us; we are part of a whole, a synergic welding of beings. Therefore we must bridge the disconnect that has pervaded our society. In other words we must strive to enlighten, energise and enthral. WingSearch seeks to do just that.
Wingsearch aims to raise awareness of the wonders of the natural world around us and create the environment for reconnection with nature. There will be regular blog posts celebrating seasonal wildlife and documenting trips to far flung places (hopefully). There will certainly be lots of wildlife images. In addition there will be elements of citizen science, wildlife themed activities and much more. Essentially I want to help people to become more aware, more observant and better able to enjoy wild spaces and wildlife. You are most welcome to take my hand and join me for the ride.
320 pages of wildlife images, articles and stories from the UK and around the world.
“Barry’s passion for his subjects is generously shared and superbly accompanied by his own photographs. A book to savour!”
– Martin Kelsey OBE, Birding Extramadura
